Better Left Unsaid
by itzrausllytrez
Summary: - "Typical story, right? Good girl meets bad boy, they become rivals, fall hopelessly in love and ride off into the sunset. That's how it goes. Except, not in this case." Auslly. AU. Cliche? I think not.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. cx**_

_**A/N: YES, IT'S ME, WITH ANOTHER STORYYY. Okay, so, this may seem like a cliche, but it's really not. Swearsies. Okay, read on, lovelies!**_

_**Ally's POV.**_

Let me just fill you in on something: I'm not normal. Never have been, never will be. You know, I used to think I was normal. And then I met Austin Moon. And every bit of my self-esteem pretty much went down the drain.

Typical story, right? Good girl meets bad boy, they become rivals, fall hopelessly in love and ride off into the sunset. That's how it goes. Except, not in this case. At least, I'm not hopelessly in love with the school's biggest jerk. I hate him. Bitterly. And I wouldn't ride off into the sunset with him if you freaking paid me a million dollars.

I ran my fingers through my light brown hair in frustration as I struggled with opening my locker door. After a year and a half of knowing Austin and having him tease me every single day, I had memorized his schedule. And I knew that he and his irritating friends and equally annoying girlfriend were going to come prancing up here any second if I didn't hurry. Which, of course, only made my hands shake more and made the current task ten times harder. Great.

"Dawson."

_Crap_.

I took a deep breath, finally just giving up on messing with my locker and turning around to face Austin. And his crew. Which consisted of Elliot Damian, Dallas Smith, Cassidy Williams, Kira Starr, Piper Michaels, Carrie Michaels, Jace Watson, and Gavin Young. Elliot was dating Kira, Dallas was dating Cassidy, Carrie was dating Jace, and Austin was dating Piper. Gavin was the only single one in their entire group, although he said that was because he chose to be.

They all had one huge thing in common, though:

They all despised _me_.

I leaned against my locker, wishing desperately that my best friends, Trish and Dez, were here. They weren't, of course. Knowing then, they were most likely already in class, bickering over some pointless topic. If today had be a regular afternoon, I would be with them, attempting to break it up. But no, I just had to forget my stupid history book.

"Hi," I muttered, taking another deep breath, which gave me just enough strength to look their leader in the eye. Austin Moon. He smirked confidently at me, causing my eyes to flit back down. Austin hated me more than any of his illiterate friends. Yes, maybe "illiterate" is a little harsh, but you wouldn't blame me if you knew half of what they constantly put me through.

He took a small step towards me and I slammed back into my locker in shock. He laughed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Aww, is widdle Dawson scared of me?"

Cassidy giggled. "Hey, maybe she has a crushy-wushy on you! Oh, I bet she consistently doodles the words "Ally Moon" in that stupid book of hers."

"Yeah, where is that dumb book now?" Elliot asked, his expression mirroring Austin's. I gulped; They had me cornered. I was so, so very dead. I glanced around frantically, praying that a teacher or possibly even Dez or Trish would pop up out of nowhere, coming to the rescue. They didn't, though. Now, there's a surprise. Not.

"I don't know, Elliot," I choked out, hoping they would conveniently miss the fact that my voice was shaking. Badly. "Why don't you tell me? You certainly stare at me enough. I'm surprised your idiotic girlfriend isn't jealous."

Kira snorted. "As if there's anything to actually be jealous of."

"Yeah. I mean, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately, Dorkson?" Cassidy asked, grinning. "You're uglier than that stupid, curly-haired friend of yours."

_Trish_. I clenched my teeth together tightly. "Shut up."

For once, Austin looked almost ... conflicted. He kept glancing at Cassidy and Kira, then back at me. He wasn't smirking anymore, either. He just had a sort of blank expression on his face. Which I happily chose to ignore. There was no way Austin would be conflicted when it came to me. He hated me just as much I hated him. Which was a lot, by the way. Yeah, let's just say, there's a reason I have stage fright. And he was standing right in front of me this very minute.

Cassidy chuckled. "Is that seriously the best you can come up with? God, you're so stupid. I'm surprised they even let someone as dumb as you into this school."

Don't let them know their words hurt. That means they win. And you _can't_ let them win. Not anymore. "You know, studies show that, when a person insults someone, it usually means they mean that same insult about _themselves_. So maybe you should deal with your petty self-confidence issues before you come ragging on me, thank you very much."

Kira blanched at me, almost seeming stunned. And I swear, I could have sworn she smiled an actual smile, although it faded quickly. Cassidy, however, just shot me one of her famous death glares before grabbing onto her boyfriend's hand and literally dragging him away. Gee, clingy, much?

I smiled widely, looking back up at Austin. "Is there anything you'd like to say to me, Austin? If not, get out of my way so I can get to class, please," I said politely. He glared at me, but took a large step back. I smiled in success, beginning to push past him, although he quickly caught me. He placed his hand on my shoulder, completely catching me off guard. I froze, actually feeling my blood rub cold. Jeez, did that boy drag his feet when he walked? Because he had way too much static electricity.

"What, Austin?" I asked, sighing. I wasn't even feigning exasperation, either. I really was tired of this. All this juvenile games and such. Didn't these jerks have anything better to do than bully me and my friends? They were supposedly the most popular kids in school. Couldn't they use their popularity powers or whatever for good, instead of evil? But no. They just had to _always_ bully me, Trish, Dez, and anyone that had a brain. That's why they liked the perky cheerleaders so much. They pretended to be stupid to score a boyfriend. And these jerks actually believed their little act.

He glanced down at me, his hazel eyes wide. It was like he didn't even realize what he had done. He removed his hand from my shoulder as if it was on fire, releasing me. I exhaled, swinging my book bag over my shoulder and striding to history class.

It wasn't until I arrived that I remembered I had forgotten my book. I muttered an apology to the teacher, quickly explaining my situation under my breath. He hesitated for a moment, before eventually shrugging and handing me a hall pass. I accepted it gratefully, skipping back out into the halls. This time, though, I was fairly certain Austin and his annoying friends wouldn't be crowding the halls. Again.

I was terribly mistaken.

Fortunately, though, this time it was just Austin. I could deal with him. In case it isn't obvious, it was a heck of a lot easier to think up good comebacks when there was only one person targeting you, as opposed to, like, nine. But I'm guessing you've probably already figured that out.

"Oh, look, it's their king. Well, excuse me, Your Majesty, but I really need to get my history book," I snapped, shoving past him. He caught my wrist, though, making me come to a stop. Very abruptly, by the way. I swallowed hard, tightly closing my eyes. Austin and his friends had never caused me any physical harm, but you never know. This was Austin Moon we were talking about. You gotta expect the unexpected.

"Off," I said, trying to sound menacing. My voice was unfortunately shaking again, though, so I failed miserably. He chuckled humorlessly, but thankfully released his tight grip on my wrist. I sighed in relief, tightening my grasp on my heavy book bag and beginning the walk back to my locker yet again.

"Ally," he started. I froze immediately. He called me by my real name. Not "loser," not "freak," not "Dorkson." He actually called me by my actual name. It shocked me so much I loosened my clutch on my book bag. It slowly slid off my shoulder, then onto the floor. The books scattered everything, including my beloved songbook/diary/journal. The one Elliot was teasing me about. Usually I would have made a mad dash for it, especially with Austin so near, but I couldn't. It literally felt like I was frozen. And no, I'm not talking about the Disney movie.

He bent down instantly, grabbing all my book, stacking them in a neat pile and offering them to me. I warily accepted them, reaching down, snatching my book bag and dumping them in it. Afterwards I swung it over my shoulder. My eyes didn't leave Austin once.

"What's your ulterior motive here, Moon? Because I know there is one," I said confidently, heading back to my locker. This time, thank God, I opened it after my first try. Good. One less thing for Austin and his friends to use against me later. Oh, I can already hear it. _Dorkson is so retarded, she doesn't even know how to open her own locker._ Ugh.

He shrugged, leaning against the locker closest to mine and not responding. I rolled my eyes, grabbing my history book, slamming my locker door shut and starting to walk away. I paused, though. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Well, yeah. Aren't you s'posed to be in class, too, Ally?" he retaliated. There it was again. _Ally_.

"I have a hall pass."

"What makes you think I don't?"

I contemplated on asking him for proof. By the time I worked up enough courage, though, and quickly spun around, he was already long gone. Almost like he hadn't been there at all.

Maybe they're right. Maybe I've finally lost whatever remained of my sanity.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. :33 **_

_** A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, follows and faves! I really appreciate it. Keep being your awesome selves! **_

_** Austin's POV.**_

I was supposed to hate her. That was practically the golden rule when it came to this school. All the populars, including myself, were supposed to bitterly hate Ally Dawson, Dez Wade and Trish De la Rosa. Apparently it was because of some incident that happened between some of the original populars the trio before I even arrived at this school. I didn't see why the populars couldn't just get over it, but whatever. They helped me score the best girlfriend ever - Piper Michaels. And I was officially the one of the most popular guys in school, only under Dallas Smith. I was working on that, though.

"Hey, Austin," Piper said cheerfully, coming up to me. I grinned down at her, taking her in. She was absolutely stunning, with long blond hair and those perfect eyes and flawless skin. I wouldn't say I was in love with her -I didn't have the time to be in love right now, anyway- but I was definitely crazy about her.

"Hey, Pipes," I said breezily, slinging an arm around her neck. She smiled, resting her head on my shoulder as we walked the halls. I was hoping she wouldn't start her now famous speech to me about how I should try to convince the others to stop picking on Ally and her friends. She thought the "poor kids" didn't deserve that. Except, they were all actually pretty wealthy, at least to my knowledge. And besides, whatever they did to the others must have been huge if they were acting like this to them. And, sure, maybe I agreed with Piper a little. But I didn't want to rock the boat.

"Have you considered talking to the others about it yet?" she asked with, looking up at me with her extremely pretty eyes. I sighed quietly, breaking eye contact and staring at our feet as we walked.

"Not really," I lied.

Piper exhaled, untangling herself from my arm. I looked at her like she was crazy, but she didn't seem to notice. "You know, Austin, I like being popular, too. It's a great feeling. I get it. What I don't get is why you're choosing your social status over what's right. And you might be okay with doing that, but I'm not," she paused suddenly, taking a deep breath. "I like you, Austin. I really do. But I can't date you if this is how it a going to be. So, here's another decision for you - your social status ... or me. Choose wisely, 'cause there's no going back."

I froze, staring at her blankly. "Are you seriously giving me an ultimatum?" I asked in surprise.

"Ha, never would have thought you'd know that word, Moon," a familiar voice muttered. I spun around quickly, nearly slamming into the she-devil, better known as Trish De la Rosa. I rolled my eyes at her retreating figure before turning back to Piper.

"You _can't_ be serious," I deadpanned.

"I'm dead serious, Austin. This is it. I'm done with all this insanity, all over a little popularity. It's not worth it, at least to me. So, c'mon. Stop stalling and make your choice."

She was serious, all right. So I thought and thought and thought before eventually shrugging. "Bye," I said bluntly, staring her straight in the eye.

She laughed bitterly. "I should have known." Silence. "Bye, Austin," she mumbled, quickly pushing past me. She shoved past the other students and almost slammed into two teachers in her rush to get away from me.

I vaguely wondered what was going to come from this. Piper had a sister in our group, Carrie. She was dating Jace, the football captain. He was an okay guy, more decent than Dallas or Elliot. Anyway, I couldn't help but think if Carrie would leave the group, too, and then possibly Jace. It would all be my fault, and everyone would know. They would hate me for causing the mess, and kick me out of their group.

Then again, Piper and Carrie never really got along, anyway.

. . .

The news of my break up with Piper spread through the school like wildfire. I already had dozens of girls lining up, dying to be my next choice. Pretty much all the females in the school, excluding Ally, Trish, and obviously Piper. It didn't matter, though. None of them were _her_.

Like I said, I really liked Piper. We got along well -besides today- and she surfed, and she wasn't a stuck up snob, like, for example, Cassidy. Everybody said we were a perfect match, and I thought they were right.

I was beginning to think I made the wrong decision.

Shrugging off the negative thoughts, I picked at my hamburger. I wasn't particularly hungry anymore, but I had to at least make it seem like I was eating to avoid suspicion. In this group, guys weren't really allowed to be upset about split ups with girls. I didn't get that, but whatever. Just another stupid thing to go along with.

"Dude?"

My head snapped up in shock. I glared at the person who had broken me out of my thoughts. It took a second for who they were to sink in. Dallas. My glare didn't ease up. "What?" I asked darkly, still glaring daggers. This was all _his_ fault. And the others. Mainly Dallas, Cassidy, and Elliot, though. Carrie, Jace, and Kira weren't that bad. They simply went with the flow, just like me.

"Well, you've been staring at your burger for, like, five minutes. Either eat it or five it to me, man. I'm starving."

I rolled my eyes in disgust, but handed him the burger nonetheless. He accepted it eagerly, not even thanking me. I rolled my eyes again, but of course didn't comment on it. That could jeopardize my cool status, and we wouldn't want that.

God, I can almost hear Piper scolding me for this right now. And if today was a regular day, like freaking yesterday, she would have nudged my foot with her ankle. That was her way of pretty much begging me to stand up for myself. Or Ally. Or Dez. Or Trish. It just depended on the situation.

I shouldn't even care this much. She's just a girl. I could get another girl with a snap of my fingers. Just like that. So why on earth did she matter so much? She was Piper Michaels, not some famous celebrity. And it wasn't like I was in love with her or something. No way.

... Right?

_There's no way I'm in love with Piper._

Right.

Okay.

Then why did I care _so much_?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. cx**_

_**Ally's POV.**_

"Did you hear the big news?" my best friend, Trish De la Rosa, asked me with a slight, knowing smirk. I raised my eyebrows, shrugging, which was my way of asking her _what news?_

"Piper Michaels and Austin Moon break up. Nobody really knows why, but they are both officially single. Piper ditched the rest of the school day and everything," Trish explained, taking a bite out of her hamburger. I shrugged again, not really seeing what the big deal was. Why should I care about the populars who bully my friends and I everyday, and their love lives? Or, well, apparently, their lack of a love life now. But still, you get my point. Hopefully.

Dez gasped dramatically, obviously overhearing our conversation. He plopped down in the seat next to Trish, his jaw still ajar. He shut it after a moment, but quickly opened it again to speak. "Ausper broke up?!" he yelped, his voice changing a two octaves compared to his usual tone.

Trish nodded slowly, looking wary. "Yeeeessss," she said slowly. "Well, if that means Austin and Piper, then yeah. Why?"

His shoulders slumped as he began picking at his cafeteria food. "Because. Piper was the only person that could convince Austin not to pick on us as much," he said in a dull tone, staring blankly at what I assumed was either mashed potatoes or a cupcake.

Trish groaned, taking a sip of her soda. "You're right," she grumbled after she was finished swallowing. "Now that Piper's out of the picture, we're totally screwed."

Dez gasped again, clutching his chest. "Out of the _picture_?! Did Piper _die_?!"

I laughed lightly, although Trish simply rolled her eyes. "No, doofus. Weren't you listening? They just broke up. She ditched school. She's still perfectly fine, besides the fact that she's as evil as her irritating ex and his equally irritating, jerky friends," Trish said with a huff.

I winced, looking around frantically. "_Shh_!" I hushed Trish, still glancing around. "They could hear you!"

She exhaled loudly, rolling her eyes again. "You know what, Ally? I don't care. I don't care at all," she snapped, standing up and hopping on top of the table. Oh, God. This couldn't be good. And did she realize how incredibly unsanitary that was?! "I don't care if Austin, Kira, Cassidy, Elliot, Jace, Carrie and Gavin all know that I bitterly hate that and I think they're all complete and utter retards!" she yelled, looking directly at their table.

Dez and I just kind of gaped at her. Sure, Trish was brave and daring, but not like this. Nobody was ever brave enough to stand up to any of the popular crowd. Not even Trish. That is, until apparently today.

Cassidy and Dallas glanced at each other before smirking, jumping up and striding over to us. Jace, Kira, Carrie, Gavin and Austin all trailed behind them, matching their confidence expressions perfectly. Almost like they were all wearing masks.

"Aw, did someone feel brave this afternoon?" Dallas asked, still smirking at us. I grabbed Trish's hand and tried to tug her down, but she just yanked out of my desperate grasp. I sighed quietly, ducking my head and patiently waiting for the inevitable insults to come firing our way, per usual.

Cassidy snickered, sitting up on her table, right next to me. First of all, ew. Did no one care about cleanliness anymore? Second of all, why me? "Looks like your stupid little friend is embarrassed of you, Trishipoo. Still feeling confident?" she asked, snickering again.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my head to look at her and the rest of the populars. "I'm not embarrassed. I just don't feel like looking at you guys. You know, you're not nearly as attractive as you seem to think you are." Don't ask me where that came from. Because, honestly, the populars were hot. Especially Austin and Kira, they were the most attractive of all. But the thing is, they knew it. And it went to their heads.

Cassidy laughed humorlessly. "That's golden, coming from you, Dorkson. Right, Austin?"

Austin's head jerked up at the mention of his name. He had looked like he was lost in thought, which was amusing. From what I saw, none of them ever thought about anything. They just did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. "Uh, sure," he muttered absentmindedly. I sincerely doubt he even heard what Cassidy said, besides her last two words. That didn't make it hurt any less, though.

"Guys, don't you think you- _we've_ tortured them enough today?" Jace asked, sighing. I'm pretty sure everybody in the entire cafeteria spun around to stare at Jace after that. That was quite daring, even for a popular.

Dallas raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're actually standing up for these freaks." Ouch.

Jace shrugged. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Just consider this - in ten years, we'll all probably have busy lives. Kids, a significant other. Do we really want to look back on our high school years and only remember bullying a few kids we barely knew? 'Cause I don't."

Okay. A few things happened within the next thirty seconds.

One: Trish looked over at Jace in an admiring sort of way, as if his little speech caused her to see him totally differently.

Two: Dez caught the look Trish was giving Jace and pretty much looked like he had been punched in the gut.

Three: Carrie also saw the look, but didn't say anything. Simply frowned delicately and stared pointedly at her high heels.

Four: Austin's eyebrows shot up abruptly, almost as if he was a mix of confused, jealous, and disappointed. In himself.

Yeah, and thirty-one seconds later, things basically exploded.

Dallas and Elliot both crossed their arms across their chest, although Elliot was the one who started talking. "If you really think that, Jace, maybe you shouldn't be in our group anymore. And come to think of it, neither should your girlfriend. Yanno, I remember what you said when we asked you to join us. That you and Carrie were a package deal. That applies here, too."

Dallas snorted. "Way to go, man. You got yourself and your girlfriend kicked out. I hope you feel _real_ proud."

Jace did the most unexpected thing ever - he smiled. Wide. "I am, thanks. And I know Carrie is, too. So, you kicked us out. Big whoop. I don't care about popularity. I care about what's right."

"Me, too," Carrie chimed in quietly.

Jace smiled even wider. "Great. And if anyone else cares about what's actually right, feel free to join us in living a normal, happy teenaged life without being ruled by royal jerks and bullying innocent kids," he said, stepping away from the others slightly, pulling Carrie with him, as he was holding her hand. Gavin joined them immediately. Kira swallowed loudly, but after a moment's hesitation, stepped over and stood besides Carrie.

Elliot stared at her slack-jawed for a second before quickly recovering. "Kira, if you do that, were over. You know that, right?"

She shook her head slowly. "We don't have to be. Come on, do the right thing. You said you really cared about me, right? Prove it."

Elliot paused for a moment, debating. Then, he shrugged. "Guess I lied. Have fun hanging with the geeks, _babe_," he said sarcastically, heading back over to the popular table by himself. Kira's face fell, but she hid it by covering her face up with her jet black hair.

"Whoa," Dez and Trish breathed in unison.

I looked over at Austin, wondering whose side he was going to choose. He looked stressed, probably because all eyes were literally trained on him. After a moment, though, he spoke up. "I-I choose the right thing," he stammered a bit.

Needless to say, pretty much every jaw in the whole school dropped to the ground.

"For Piper," he muttered almost silently. I couldn't help myself - I grinned. He actually had a heart. Who knew?

Cassidy stared at him blankly. Dallas, however, didn't seem fazed whatsoever. "Whatever," he mumbled darkly, latching onto Cassidy's arm and dragging her back over to the now-practically-empty popular table.

"Guys, I just wanna say I'm really sorry for everything. I wanted to feel loved, feel famous, but I realize it wasn't worth it. I'm so sorry," Kira apologized in a rush. Jace, Carrie, and Gavin all nodded in agreement. Austin hesitated, but soon nodded slowly, as well.

I glanced at Trish and Dez, then back at the others. "Swear on your life this isn't some cruel prank?" I asked.

"Swear," they all said simultaneously, which was only a little creepy. Trish looked behind their backs, probably making sure their fingers weren't crossed or anything. She returned with a wry smile, seeming satisfied.

"Do we forgive them?" I whispered to Dez and Trish. The two glanced at each other before finally nodding and shrugging. I grinned, turning back to Kira, Jace, Austin, Gavin and Carrie. "You're forgiven."

"Yay!" Carrie squealed, clapping her hands like an excited toddler. She paused, then smiled from ear to ear. "I have a great idea!"

"What is it, sweetie?" Jace asked her, swinging their arms back and forth.

"Well, what if we all teamed together to try to overthrow the populars? Like, there's currently more of us than them, so I think we could definitely pull it off. That is, if you guys are in," she added, looking over at Trish, Dez and I.

"You mean ... you wanna make us popular, too?" Trish asked, seeming truly surprised.

Carrie nodded quickly. "Yep! Except, we'd all be good populars. We wouldn't bully other kids or act better than anyone. We would put all those cliches in their places, along with Cassidy, Dallas and Elliot."

"I'm in," Dez mumbled, almost seeming nervous or possibly shy. Trish stared at him for a second before shrugging and murmuring a "yeah, sure."

By now, I had everyone's attention. Even Austin was staring at me intently. I shifted uncomfortably, rocking back and forth on my heels. "I don't know. I-I kinda have stage fright and this, um, fear of people. So."

Kira's face softened. Even more, that is. "Is it because of us?"

"Kind of?" I answered, although it sounded more like a question than anything else.

Austin abruptly grabbed my hand and yanked me across the room, away from everybody. "I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to give you stage fright or your freaky fear, and neither did the others. Well, besides Dallas, Cassidy and Elliot. Anyways, sorry. And I promise I'll help you get over it if you let me. All I ask in return is that you say yes."

I glanced warily at our entwined hands before looking back up at him. "Why? ..."

He sighed. "Because I want to prove to Piper that I'm not a bad person. But, to be able to do that, I have to actually become a good person. So here I am, trying my hardest. Please just let me become a good person, Ally."

I paused, then pulled out of his grip and strode back over to the others. I heard his footsteps behind me, but pointedly ignored them. I didn't like how much I enjoyed him holding my hand. I didn't like how I almost got lost in those gorgeous brown eyes. I didn't like the fact that I was pretty sure I was beginning to like _him_.

"Count me in."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally!**_

**_Austin's POV._**

I really couldn't believe how much had changed in just a matter of hours. One second we're bullying Trish, Ally and Dez, and the next we're apologizing to them hastily and begging on our knees for forgiveness. I didn't exactly understand it, but at the same time I didn't care. I had a simple plan, and I would do anything for it.

See, I was planning on helping Ally get over her stage fright and her crazy fear of people. That way, I could prove to Piper that I wasn't a shallow jerk that only cared about popularity. Because I wasn't. I cared about music, my family, my real friends, and, most of all, her. I was hoping that once I proved myself to her, she would possibly rethink the break up. Because I was honestly starting to think I was either in love with her, or beginning to fall in love with her. Either way, I had it bad.

We sat with Ally, Dez and Trish for the rest of lunchtime. Jace and Trish chatted up a storm, hitting it off immediately. I couldn't help but notice her friend, Dez, sulking quietly next to her. I guess it was some sort of cliche, unrequited love story. Boring. I averted my attention over to Kira, who kept glancing over at the popular table. Probably because of Elliot. It was weird, I was pretty sure he had actually cared about her and he just acted so nonchalant. Then again, I did the exact same thing when Piper dumped me.

"Austin?" Carrie asked suddenly, speaking up for the first time after announcing her idea. I looked over at her, not quite sure what to expect. I knew she knew about the breakup. I just didn't know if she knew why, or even what happened.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the excruciatingly loud bell cut her off. Dez gathered up his stuff first, along with Trish's. She smiled thankfully at him before turning back to Jace. Dez sighed quietly, rocking back and forth on his feet as he impatiently waited for them to finish up their conversation. Once they did, he immediately grabbed onto Trish's hand and literally dragged her out of the cafeteria.

Kira laughed lightly. "Yeah, I better go, too. I have a test. Catch you guys later," she said brightly, waving at us before walking off. I still caught that final glance towards the popular table, though, before she walked out the door, Gavin right behind her.

Ally looked uncomfortable once she realized she was the only "geek" left. She turned to walk away, but I instantly grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She blushed furiously, looking down. "What?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Wow. She was definitely not kidding when she said she was terrified of people. I felt a pang of guilt when I realized it was partly my fault, but I quickly brushed it off.

"Meet me outside the school at 2:20, in the back," I mumbled in her ear. She froze, but soon nodded weakly. I released her, watching her as she strode out of the cafeteria. I knew she was probably already going through dozens of reasons why I might want to meet her. I didn't know how, but I did.

"Getting yourself a new girlfriend already?" Jace asked with a knowing smirk. Carrie, overhearing him, looked up at me and glared daggers. I winced at the intensity of her gaze.

"N-no," I said immediately, although I stuttered a bit, thanks to Carrie and her glaring. "Just helping her with something."

Jace rolled his eyes in disbelief but fortunately let it go. "Whatever, man. We better get to class, unless you want another detention for being late."

I nodded in agreement, trailing behind Carrie and Jace as they headed for the exit. I didn't pay any attention to their conversation, but I figured it was about some new Zaliens movie or something. Carrie and Jace were really into that type of stuff, but they used to keep it a secret, mainly from the main three populars (Cassidy, Elliot and Dallas). If they had known about their little obsession, they would have instantly gotten kicked out. Just like that.

Weren't the populars great?

. . .

I glanced at my watch as I shoved past my fellow peers. 2:21. I was already one minute late. And, sure, usually I couldn't care less about punctuality, but this was Ally Dawson. I knew she had a thing about always being exactly on time, because I often overheard her yelling at Trish and Dez for being late for stuff. The last thing I needed to do was annoy her, especially since she was my main chance to prove to Piper I was a good person. Joining the others in during the right thing just wasn't enough. Piper thought I went along with the majority of people, and since Dallas, Elliot and Cassidy were in the minority, well, you know.

I arrived at my destination only three minutes later. Not that bad, considering the fact that I was almost trampled on by over a hundred students. Yep, that was one of the huge downstairs of becoming a total nobody. Kids moved for the populars. But for people who ditched the populars? Definitely not.

"You're late," were the first words out of Ally's mouth. I mentally cursed her love for punctuality, knowing that this had a rocky start. She was killing me already. If it wasn't for Piper, I probably wounded even be doing this. Ally was impossible.

"Yeah, sorry. I was busy being stomped on by my awesome peers," I grumbled, leaning against the wall. "Anyway, I'm here to get started on helping you get over your fears. Ya ready?"

She quickly shook her head. "No."

"That's the spirit! Okay, now let's - wait," I cut off suddenly. "Did you just say no?"

She nodded. "Correct."

I opened my mouth, shut it again and repeated the cycle three more times before I finally regained myself. "You're seriously not ready to become a normal teenaged girl? That's crazy."

"Oh, and what's your idea of a regular teenaged girl, Austin Moon? A perky cheerleader who wears extremely short skirts, crop tops, and pretends to be dumb? If so, then we're wasting each other's time, because that's not me, nor will it ever be me."

I rolled my eyes. "No. My idea of a normal teenaged girl is someone who actually socializes, has confidence in themselves, and isn't painfully shy. Like Piper. Not like those idiot cheerleaders, although they are pretty hot."

Ally huffed in response. "Then we have a lot of work to do, Austin. Because that's not me, either. I'm not Piper. I'm not Kira. I'm not a cheerleader. I'm me. I'm boring, plain, annoying, dorky Ally Dawson. Accept it, and leave me alone. Try to get your girlfriend back some other way than using me."

I could do it. I could totally ditch her and instead try to help Dez or Trish or some other nerd. But after hearing her little speech, I knew I couldn't. Yeah, at first I wanted to do this to help the whole Piper thing, but now something had changed. She thought of herself that way because of me, and that was bad. I made her insecure. Now, I needed to make her confident, or else it was going to haunt me forever. No joke.

"No," I said bluntly.

"No?!"

"No," I repeated, more forcefully this time. "I am not giving up on you. Sure, you might be a lot of work, but really, who isn't? Besides, your entire insecurity problems are mainly my fault. Let me fix this."

She hesitated, considering. I swallowed hard, literally praying she wouldn't roll her eyes and tell me to leave her alone again.

After a moment, she sighed loudly. "Fine," she muttered.

I resisted the extremely strong urge to jump around and cheer like a little kid. Instead, I grinned. "Awesome. Okay, so, you have stage fright, right? Well, is that for, like, acting, singing, dancing, playing an instrument ...?" I trailed off.

She shrugged. "Pretty much all of the above, but mainly singing and playing an instrument. Why?"

"Sing something for me."

"_NO_."

Well, this was going to be even more difficult than I thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or the P!nk song, "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)." Pretty much just own a tablet and a chihuahua ... oops? :D_**

**_Ally's POV._**

This was a total disaster. Austin kept trying to pressure me into singing, and I kept telling him there was absolutely no way I would sing in front of him. I could tell he was getting annoyed, but really, so was I. Why couldn't he just accept that I wasn't going to sing? At least, not today. But no. God, this boy was impossible. And stubborn. Really stubborn.

"Austin!" I yelled, cutting off yet another one of his seemingly endless pleas. "If I sing something, will you shut up?" I didn't know how I was going to work up enough courage to do this, but if it made him quit bothering me, I guess I would.

"Yeah," he answered immediately. I groaned, half-hoping he would have said no. Taking a deep breath, I began singing the first song that came to mind.

"I think I've finally had enough. I think I maybe think too much. I think this might be it for us. Blow me one last kiss. You think I'm just too serious. I think you're full of it. My head is spinning, so blow me one last kiss."

Austin stared at me, completely slack-jawed. I flushed, ducking my head and hiding my face with my plain, light brown hair. "I know. I'm terrible. Can we please go now?" I asked quietly. I wasn't exactly a fan of behind the school. It seemed so creepy. Besides, only the usual detention kids came back here, to do who knows what. I didn't even want to know.

He shook his head, finally recovering. "No, Ally. You're not terrible," he paused, and I braced myself for the inevitable insult. What was worse than "terrible"? Well, I suppose I was about to find out.

"You're incredible."

This time, it was my turn to gape at him. And trust me, I did. "Wait, seriously?" I asked in surprise, taking a small step back. He nodded, grinning from ear to ear. I smiled wearily, looking down at the ground. Somehow, I knew he wasn't lying. He really thought I was incredible. I mean, why would he lie? He wouldn't. Maybe I wasn't quite as horrible as I previously assumed.

"I'm just shocked that Ally Dawson knows who Pink is," he muttered. My head jerked up at that, and I shoved his arm playfully. He grabbed my hand, keeping it on his arm, and I looked up at him in shock. I froze when I realized he had already been looking at me.

And that's when he began to lean in.

I had never been kissed before. I never had a boyfriend, never even really had an actual crush, unless you count crushes on celebrities. I was slightly crazy over Bruno Mars. But, like, guys who went to Marino High? Nope. Definitely not. That is, until this afternoon. I still was a little fuzzy over how I felt when Austin was holding my hand and all. I liked it, and I knew that was very bad. He was only doing this to prove a point to another girl, a girl I was pretty sure he was in love with.

But yet, here he was. Leaning towards me, excruciatingly slowly. And I certainly wasn't doing anything to stop him.

Then, he stopped. Just like that. He didn't move, though, hovering right over my lips. I blinked quickly, still staring into his hazel eyes. He stared right back. He moved a little closer, and by now our noses were lightly brushing and our foreheads were pressed against each other. Which is exactly when I remembered all the pain he and his friends put me through.

Sure, I believed in second chances. I truly did. However, I didn't believe in kissing someone who I literally just gave a second chance that day, after long months of bullying my best friends and I.

So, I jerked back.

And he followed my lead, stumbling back a couple feet. I swallowed hard, trying to calm my now rapid breathing. "I-I gotta get home," I stammered awkwardly. "My dad's expecting me." A lie. My father was working late tonight at his music store, Sonic Boom.

He blinked slowly. "Yeah, okay. Oh, and um, Ally? Can we please forget that ever happened?"

I nodded quickly. "My pleasure, Austin."

. . .

I decided the keep the almost kiss a secret from Trish and Dez, at least for now. Which was a total first. I hadn't kept a single thing from them since kindergarten, when we first met. They were bickering over who got to use the purple crayon, and I ran over and broke it up. Ever since that day, we were all best friends. Although Dez and Trish would never admit that they actually cared about each other to anyone. But that's okay, since it was quite obvious. I'll never forget the day one of the cheerleaders, Kimmy, asked them if they were dating. Their reactions were totally priceless.

Anyway, it was later that evening. I was alone, in my room, sprawled across my perfectly made bed. My legs were hanging off slightly, but I was still comfortable, so it was okay.

I stared up blankly at my ceiling, sighing to myself. I was exhausted, but honestly, my mind wouldn't shut up. All I could think about was Austin leaning in. I didn't understand why it took me so long to stop him. I just forgave him today, and I still didn't completely trust him. And why was he leaning in, anyways? I thought he was still pining after Piper and all.

I groaned loudly, rolling over and slamming my face into my pillow. I screamed and screamed into it until my voice was beginning to feel sore. And even then, I just groaned again. This was all so complicated. As happy as I was that Jace finally stood up to Cassidy, Elliot and Dallas, and the majority of the old populars didn't despise us and never really did, I still was a little annoyed. And it was all Austin's fault.

I lifted my head out of my pillow, blinking wearily. I glanced at the clock, exhaling when I saw the time. 5:43 P.M. It was getting late, and I never ate dinner after 6:30. It was one of my quirks. Which obviously meant I would probably be eating alone again tonight, since I knew my dad still wasn't home yet. I swallowed loudly, climbing out of my bed and heading to the kitchen.

Since I was so tired, I decided I would simply throw together some pasta and green beans, since I wasn't really in the mood for meat tonight, anyway. I grabbed some noodles out of the cupboard, snatched a pan, and began the cooking process. See, cooking had always been fun to me. I would never actually pursue it as a career, but I still liked it.

I was finished throwing everything together by 6:12, and I smiled to myself. I did pretty good for a sleep deprived, irritated, teenaged girl. But, unfortunately, I was right. I ate alone for the third night in a row.

By now, you might be wondering where my mom is. Well, she's in Africa, studying their environment and animals for the book she's writing. She left for Africa a few months after she and my father's divorce finally became official, and their marriage was just a bad memory. It seemed that way, anyway, though my parents consistently reminded me that I was still the best thing that ever happened to them. Sometimes I didn't believe them. We won't talk about that yet, though.

After I finished eating, I cleaned and put away all the dishes, then went back up to my room. It was only about seven, but I was still seriously considering going to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be as equally exhausting as today, if not more. Tomorrow, we were putting Carrie's plan into action. I was kind of excited, but nervous, as well. I just knew that Dallas, Elliot and Cassidy weren't going to take the loss of so many of their members easily. I mean, come on. They were a trio now. That wasn't exactly good. For them.

I collapsed onto my bed, burying my face in my pillow yet again. And before I knew what was happening, I was dozing off to unconsciousness.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you might recognize, including Austin & Ally(:**_

_**Austin's POV.**_

I really, really wanted to completely forget about the almost kiss with Ally. Some things were easier said than done, though. And that was definitely one of them.

How could I have been so stupid?! My heart already belonged to Piper. I was pretty sure I was falling for her. So, why was I trying to kiss other girls, especially a girl I used to bully every single day? Ally could tell Piper I tried to kiss her and totally ruin my chances with Piper. Revenge for those seemingly endless days of torturing her and her friends. The worst part was, I wouldn't even be able to really blame her.

So, needless to say, I was preparing myself for the worst possible scenario when I walked into school the next morning.

Really, the fact that I knew Cassidy, Dallas and Elliot were going to make my life a living hell for leaving their dumb little group was bad enough. But the fact that my happily ever after was currently resting in the hands of a girl I used to purposely hurt every possible chance I got? That just made my emotions a thousand times more jumbled.

Just as I expected, all eyes were on me the second I walked in. I didn't even smile, only shoved past my fellow peers. I was pushing past everyone so quickly I literally smashed into -you guessed it- Dallas, Elliot and Cassidy. I huffed, not even bothering to apologize.

"Aww, look. It's the latest edition to the Dork Pack," Cassidy said with a sarcastic laugh. I rolled my eyes, but didn't acknowledge her comment any other way. I was too busy silently obsessing over the eyes I could actually feel boring into my skull. This was going to be a living nightmare.

"Move, please. You're blocking my locker. Thanks," I said politely, smiling sickeningly sweet. The three blinked at me in shock, but still didn't move. I exhaled in annoyance. "Listen-" I started, but I was soon cut off.

"Did you guys not hear him? You're blocking his locker. Please move," Ally said, still using her usual nice tone of voice. She was even grinning genuinely. I smirked at the look of bewilderment of my ex friends faces. Well, I don't even like calling them that, since they were never truly my friends in the first place.

Dallas snickered after a moment. "Why on earth should we listen to the biggest geek of all? That's what you are, yanno, Ally. A geek."

"A nerd," Cassidy added.

"And a totally worthless human being," Elliot said, nodding seriously.

Ally froze as she stared at them in shock. Sure, they could be cruel, but not like this. They usually never insulted a single person so much at the exact same time. Yet, here they were. And I'm not going to lie. It angered me. A lot. Especially Elliot's comment. So, I did the first thing I could think of. Which was probably a bad idea.

I punched him in the face, which promptly slammed him into my locker. He groaned loudly, going to punch me right back. I quickly ducked, and since I punched him in the eye his vision was kinda off. And, well, he ended up punching Ally in the nose.

She let out a startled yelp, clutching her nose. I growled at Elliot, but I soon felt people yanking me back. Gavin and Jace. I shouted at them, words that probably didn't even sound like English, while Trish and Dez rushed up to Ally. Her nose was bleeding, but it wasn't that bad. Elliot wasn't exactly a wrestler, if you get my point.

"I hate you," I hissed at Elliot, who was gripping his face in pain. He shot me a weak glare, but didn't respond any other way.

"What happened here?!" a nearby teacher, Mr. Connolly, yelled, racing up to us. He was one of those adults that was in touch with their inner teenager. Meaning he was constantly trying to be cool. It never exactly worked, though.

Jace and Gavin explained the situation to him, occasionally with Cassidy and Dallas interjecting with total lies to make me look bad. I knew there was still a great chance Elliot and I would both get expelled. We didn't have the best records, so.

"Ally, are you okay?" I asked quietly, running up to her once Gavin and Jace finally released me. She nodded, although she still had her hand over her nose. Trish had given Ally her leopard print scarf and she was currently gripping it to her nose, soaking up the blood.

"Ally, I'm so sorry," I breathed out. She shrugged weakly, mouthing "it's fine." Meanwhile, Trish was shooting Elliot and I total death glares. It was sort of terrifying.

I glanced back at Mr. Connolly, who was currently lecturing Elliot about hitting a girl. Which meant he wasn't planning on ranting at me quite yet. I grabbed Ally's spare hand. "Here, I'll take you to the nurse," I murmured, literally pulling her away from Dez and Trish. They both shot me glares, which I conveniently ignored. Nobody else even seemed to see me sneaking away, though, so woohoo.

"Ally-" I started, but she quickly interrupted.

"Austin, it's okay. I'm okay. I doubt my nose is even broken. Now please stop dragging me around so I can tell you something," she snapped. I immediately skidded to a halt, and she smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks. Now, anyway, I wanted to thank you."

I stared at her blankly. "Thank me? You have a broken nose because of me!"

"Austin, listen. I already said it's most likely not broken. Besides, it's because of Elliot. And it was really sweet what you did, defending me and all. Kind of stupid, but still sweet. No one has ever risked getting expelled for me before." Oh, so she knew about my record ... Crap. "So, thank you."

"Uh, you're welcome," I muttered before pressing my lips together tightly. She was right, and it had been a very stupid thing to do. But I was Austin Moon, and it was practically my responsibility to do dumb things. I was hoping she would get used to it sooner, rather than later.

"So ... nurse's office?" she asked quietly, smiling as if she was amused. I gaped at her for a second before nodding, beginning to lead her again. It wasn't until then that I realized I had still been gripping her hand, even when we stopped walking (well, running, really).

. . .

I was pretty surprised when the nurse said I could stay with Ally. I mean, I had asked for two reasons. One, try to avoid any teachers, the vice principal, the actual principal, et cetera. I was trying to postpone my inevitable kicking out as long as possible. Two, I wanted to make sure Ally was really okay.

"Tell me about yourself," I said abruptly, just to keep her talking. I was starting to become used to the sound of her voice, and it felt weird when I couldn't hear it. Twenty-four hours can change a lot, apparently.

She shrugged a bit awkwardly, considering the fact that she was still gripping the bloody scarf to her nose. "What's there to tell? I'm not exactly an interesting person."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, you are. Come on, just tell me anything. Like ... why do you love music so much? What instruments do you play? Are you a good dancer?" There was so much I wanted to know about her. I was telling myself it was because she was a distraction from Piper and probably getting expelled, but I was getting the impression there was another reason, too.

She bit her bottom lip and nibbled on it for a second before eventually speaking. I couldn't help but notice how cute she was when she did that. Not a good sign. "Well, I love music because it's an amazing way to express yourself. And it's also a great escape from reality. Um, I play a lot of instruments, but mainly piano. That's my favorite. And I don't know. I only have one good move," she mumbled, sighing lightly. "What about you? What's your biggest dream?"

"To become a successful singer," I blurted without a second thought. It was true, though. I wanted that more than anything.

"Are you any good?"

"I guess. I just can't write songs, though. Like, I try. I really do. But it's like I can't find any inspiration. It sucks," I groaned, running my fingers through my blond hair. I say down at the edge of her temporary bed, so we were sitting besides each other.

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I kind of write songs. Maybe I could teach you how to write them, too," she suggested shyly.

I grinned at her. "Ally, if you do, I swear I will love you forever!"

We both froze at my comment. After about a minute, I laughed awkwardly, hoping to brush it off as a joke. "Anyways, yeah, that'd be great. Thanks."

She bit her lower lip again before responding. "Yeah, no problem," she paused for a brief moment before continuing. "My dad owns this music store in the mall. It's called Sonic Boom. Maybe you've heard of it, or seen it, or whatever. Anyway, if you swing by there after school I can help you. I'm working there today, but today is usually one of our slow days," she explained, still sounding a bit shy.

I nodded quickly. "That would be awesome. Thanks again, Alls," I said unthinkingly.

She frowned delicately. "Alls?"

I'm such an idiot. It's not even funny. "Uh, sorry. It's just a dumb nickname I came up for you right now. Forget it."

She shook her head. "No. I like it," she said, smiling widely.

I smiled back. "Okay then, Alls."

This was easy. Easier than any time I ever spent with Piper, or anybody else. I think I was beginning to grow attached to my so-called distraction.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, thank you for rubbing it in. Very sweet. **_

_**Ally's POV.**_

It turns out I was right and my nose wasn't broken. Elliot hadn't hit me with enough force to do any real damage, thank goodness. It still hurt like heck, though. I wasn't about to admit that to anyone, though, least of all Austin. He felt bad enough already.

It's funny, what a single day can do. Yesterday, we hated each other and today we're acting like best friends. It's so strange, but I'm not about to question it. It was nice, and I didn't wanna risk losing him by over thinking everything, like I usually did.

It wasn't until final period, when Austin and I were walking to our mathematics class together when the principal approached us. I gulped, instinctively grabbing Austin's hand. I knew Austin was about to get into a boatload of trouble, all because of me and my flaws. I wasn't sure who I was trying to comfort by grabbing his hand, though. Austin or myself.

"Hi," I choked out, smiling shyly at Principal Helga Watts. She was strict, ruthless, and honestly, terrified me. She could even scare the populars with a single look. Yes. She had that much power over the school.

"Moon. My office. Now," she hissed, totally ignoring me.

Austin looked at me, and for a second I saw a flash of fear in his hazel eyes. He glanced at our entwined hands next, as if asking me to let go. I shook my head. "No. We're going together," I said firmly. He sighed, but didn't attest, nodding at Principal Helga.

"Only Mr. Moon. Not you, Miss Dawson," she said through gritted teeth.

I swallowed hard, but didn't give in. Austin risked getting into a load of trouble to me. I could easily stand up to the principal. "No. I'm going with him, and nothing you say or do will possibly change my mind."

She stared at me for a short moment before exhaling loudly, but nodding stiffly, a sign that I got the OK. I smiled widely, tugging Austin along as she led us into her office. He stopped me abruptly when we were in her doorway. "That was pretty brave of you, Miss Dawson."

"Thank you, Mr. Moon," I teased him right back before dragging him into the office.

"Shut the door behind you, please," she directed us. Austin gently closed the door before plopping down into one of the two empty chairs. I sat in the chair besides his, scooting over a bit so we were closer.

"Moon. I recently heard you got into a physical fight with one of your peers, Elliot Damian," she began slowly. Austin reached for my hand, and I immediately entwined our fingers again.

"He was bullying Ally. He called her worthless," Austin grumbled. I squeezed his hand, and he instantly squeezed back. We both needed lots of reassurance at the moment.

She sighed quietly. "So, in response, you punched him in the face," she said bluntly. "Why?"

Austin stared at her in surprise for a second before speaking. "It made me really mad. Ally's not worthless, and hearing him tell her that when all she did was ask him to please move ... well, I snapped."

Principal Helga rubbed her temple. I vaguely wondered if she had a migraine. "Mr. Moon, that was a very childish reaction. You could have come to me, or any of the many staff members. Violence is never the answer. And you know, I could expel you, or suspend you at the very least."

Austin swallowed hard, but nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I was and I am totally aware of the consequences of my actions and I completely understand if you expel me. You're right, I shouldn't have hit him. But Ally doesn't deserve to get bullied."

"It's always over a girl, isn't it?" she mumbled softly before speaking up. "Let me get this straight. You hit Mr. Damian, fully aware of what would probably happen to you. All because he insulted your girlfriend?"

"I'm not his-"

"Quiet, Miss Dawson. I was not speaking to you," she snapped. "Mr. Moon, however, I'd appreciate an answer from."

Austin gulped. "Ally's not my girlfriend, but other than that, yeah, pretty much."

Principal Helga began rubbing her temple again, seemingly exhausted. After a couple minutes she raised her head to look Austin straight in the eye. "I will not expel you, or even suspend you. However, you had detention everyday after school for two weeks, starting today. Consider yourself lucky. Also, if this ever happens again, I'll be sure to expel you faster than you can even explain what occurred. Understood?"

Austin nodded quickly. "Yes, sir - I mean, ma'am. Um, thank you."

She simply rolled her eyes. "Go. You're late to class."

. . .

I was only slightly surprised when Austin strode into Sonic Boom at about 4:30 P.M., grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, Alls," he said brightly before looking around. "Whoa. So, this is your dad's store?"

I smiled and nodded, handing a customer his receipt and bidding him farewell. No one else was in line after him, and the store was literally empty besides Austin and I, so I decided to close up shop early. I flipped the sign on the door over from "Open" to "Closed" before turning to Austin. "How was detention?"

He rolled his eyes. "Boring. They made us learn stuff. Weirdly enough, Elliot wasn't there, though. Anyway, are you still gonna teach me how to write songs?"

I laughed lightly at his eagerness. "Yeah, sure. Um, follow me," I muttered, leading him upstairs. I heard his loud footsteps behind me and smiled to myself, resting my hands on the door to the practice room. My fingers grazed over the Keep Out sign. I could tell that its color was beginning to fade, but I hadn't gotten around to replacing it yet. After a lingering moment, I pushed the door open.

"I usually write my songs up here. It's more peaceful," I calmly explained to Austin. I grabbed his wrist and led him over to the dark brown, mahogany piano. "This is my piano. It's pretty old, but oh well," I said with a slight shrug before sitting down at the piano bench. Austin sat besides me, grinning. I grinned back warily. "So, what do you think?" Honestly, I was a little nervous. Only Trish, Dez, and my parents had ever seen my practice room, excluding a curious toddler that had wandered up here one busy afternoon in the store.

"It's cool, but it needs some more color. Kinda bland. It has loads of potential, though," he added quickly when he saw my deflated expression.

I nodded in agreement, glancing around. "Yeah, I know. My dad won't pay for refurbishments, though, and I don't have enough money. It's whatever, though. So, you wanted me to teach you how to become a songwriter, right?"

He paused, then nodded slowly. "Yeah, please."

I was still trying to comprehend how he got the whole "bad boy" reputation. He was nothing but polite, and lot more innocent than I used to think. "Okay. Let's write a song."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally!:)_**

**_A/N: Hope you guys had a happy and safe Halloween! You're awesome! :D _**

**_Austin's POV._**

I felt my eyes slowly start to droop shut. I glanced around the bland practice room once more before finally allowing my eyes to close. Even once they did, though, I didn't totally fall asleep. I dozed a bit, but I wasn't completely, fast asleep like Ally was.

She had dozed off earlier, maybe a half hour ago, after her umpteenth attempt at trying to teach me how to write a real song. Ally was a talented songwriter. I could tell that from the songs I sneaked peeks at in her top secret songbook/diary/journal when she wasn't looking. I never actually touched it, though. Yeah, turns out Ally's really protective of that thing. She yelled at me seven times for trying to poke it.

I was pretty sure it was about four in the morning. I was wondering why she wasn't eager to go home, since she was definitely eager when I was trying to help her get over her stage fright. But whatever, I guess I couldn't judge, either, since I was still here and all. And I could easily leave, go home, text Ally when I got home or just tell her at school that I got tired. She wouldn't mind, since she did already fall asleep. But something was keeping me from doing just that.

I suppose the fact that my parents were on yet another stupid business trip together, leaving me totally alone in that huge house, was a good reason.

I rested my head on the piano keys, slowly opening one eye to catch one last glance of Ally. She was fast asleep, like I said, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Cassidy always used to say Ally was boring and ordinary, but I didn't see it. She was gorgeous, with her flowing, light brown hair and dark chocolate brown eyes and naturally flawless skin. Kind of perfect, actually. I vaguely remembered how, earlier, she said she was considering getting amber highlights in her hair, but she wasn't sure about whether she should or not. Personally, I thought she would look stunning either way. I didn't tell her that, though, simply shrugged.

The last thought I had before eventually heading to the land of unconsciousness was that I really should have told her that.

. . .

"Austin!"

I woke with a start, jumping up and taking in my surroundings. Plain walls, old piano, and Ally Dawson, staring with me with raised eyebrows. Yep. I must be in the practice room.

I smiled sheepishly at her, waving a bit. "Hey, Alls," I mumbled awkwardly. She laughed lightly, swatting my arm. I couldn't help but remember how, the last time she did that, we ended up almost kissing. I contemplated leaning in again, but by the time I decided I would, she had pulled away.

This was so confusing. Wasn't I supposed to be falling in love with Piper? Not Ally! Not that I'm actually falling for Ally or anything. I just may or may not have a teeny, tiny crush on her. It wasn't even a big enough crush to stress over. It was only because she was my distraction. That's all.

"What time is it?" I asked Ally before yawning loudly. She pressed her lips together firmly before replying.

"Almost seven. You better get home so you can get dressed and cleaned up for school. And detention," she added with a grimace. I exhaled, running my fingers through my messy blond locks.

"Why can't we just ditch and stay here? Please, Ally?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's like you want to get expelled. No, we're not ditching. I have a perfect attendance record to keep up and you have a future to get ready for. So, shut up, go home, and make yourself look presentable."

Ouch. Ally was tough when it came to school. "Fine. But you know, some girls find it hot when a guy has morning hair," I said with a teasing wink. I couldn't resist flirting with her. I knew it would make her blush, and she was pretty cute when she did that.

I was right; She blushed a deeper shade than a ripe tomato. "Yes, s-some girls. I, fortunately, am not one of them. Now go home. And if you decide to ditch anyways, I will personally hunt down wherever you live and literally drag you to school, with Trish and Dez at my side. Understood?"

I nodded quickly. "Yup, got it."

Well, that's what I get for flirting with Ally when my heart already belongs to a different girl.

. . .

I ended up going to school after all, since Ally honestly scared the crap out of me. How someone so small could be so terrifying, I would never know. God, I could just imagine her ranting at the remaining populars like that. I'm almost positive she would scare the living daylights out of them, too.

I waved at Ally's friend, Dez, when I passed him in the halls. He didn't wave back, but paused before coming up to me. I bit my bottom lip, a habit I had somehow picked up from Ally. He looked me up and down before sighing. "Just don't hurt her, okay?"

I frowned, not understanding what he meant. "What? Hurt who?" I asked stupidly, my brows still knitted tightly together. Dez sighed again, stuffing his face in the palm of his hand, as if I was an mentally ill person whom he had little patience with. Okay, then.

"Ally. Be careful with her. She's more fragile than she lets on," he said after a moment. And leaving that comment in my mind, he spun around and strode off to where Jace, Carrie, and Trish were chattering over the latest Zaliens movie.

Ally, fragile? That was totally untrue. It was obvious how strong she was. And here I thought Dez was one of her best friends and knew her really well. I rolled my eyes to myself before making way to my next class, which I fortunately had with Ally and Kira, and unfortunately had with Cassidy, as well. We used to all gang up and tease Ally simultaneously before the teacher came in. I cringed at the memories.

I pushed the door open to the literature classroom, taking a deep breath. The first person I saw was Ally. However, the second person I saw was Cassidy, who was whisper-shouting at Ally. And yeah, that's actually a thing.

I approached them warily, smiling a bit at Ally. She turned away from Cassidy immediately and smiled back, looking totally happy, despite whatever Cassidy was saying. I knew what she was saying had to be bad, though. She was Cassidy and she was talking to Ally Dawson. This had "trouble" written all over it.

"Hey, Alls," I said brightly before averting my attention to Cassidy. "Hi," I said to her in a total deadpan, which caused Ally to giggle. I had never really heard her giggle before, so when I did, I instantly broke out into a grin.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Back off, Loverboy. I think your girlfriend can speak for herself, right, Alls?"

Kira groaned, looking over at us. "Can't you please just shut the he- heck up, Cass?" Kira snapped, stammering over which word to use at first, then mimicking how Cassidy mocked Ally's nickname by mocking hers. I snickered quietly at the look of surprise on Cassidy's face. It was totally priceless.

"I'm not his girlfriend, by the way," Ally added before nibbling on her lower lip. Cassidy rolled her eyes but thankfully returned to her seat, across the classroom, in the very back. I smirked, plopping down in the seat besides Ally, since we were given the option to choose where we sat in this class.

"_Thank you_," Ally mouthed at Kira and I.

I smiled in response, my way of saying "no problem" without actually saying a single word.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally! :)_**

**_Ally's POV._**

So far, three days had passed since I threatened Austin when he wanted to ditch school. Which was really fun, by the way. Anyway, it was Saturday, which made me pretty sad. I loved school, and I hated the weekends. I know, I'm certainly ... unique.

Well, there's always the fact that I had to help my dad at the store every Saturday and Sunday. He said it was a great way to spend quality father-daughter time together, and we would be getting paid in the process. I smiled and laughed lightly when he said that, but honestly, I thought it was kind of lame. And I was Ally. I rarely thought things were ever lame. So that's saying something.

I stood behind the counter whilst watching my father assist a teenaged girl reach a hot pink guitar she was apparently interested in buying. I sighed quietly as I observed them, resting my chin in the palms of my hands. I was bored out of my mind. I really just wanted to be hanging out with Trish and Dez or Austin, or possibly all three. That last option was highly unlikely, though, and not only because I was stuck at work. Dez and Trish had absolutely no problem with Jace, Carrie, Gavin and Kira, but Austin was a totally different story. Well, to sum it up, they still didn't trust him whatsoever. I mean, Trish was thoroughly convinced it was Austin's fault Elliot punched me in the nose.

"Dad, can I-?" I started when he returned to the counter.

"No. We're spending time together," he interrupted, already having predicted what I was about to ask. I exhaled, resting the very strong urge to slam my head down on the wood counter. That was such a normal teenaged girl move, I would have literally disgusted myself if I did it.

"Ally!"

I jerked my head up at that, grinning from ear to ear when I saw Austin. "Hi!" I said quickly, actually hopping over the counter in my rush to see him. He chuckled lightly, grabbing my arms to steady me. I smiled gratefully at him before realizing how extremely close we currently were. "Um, sorry," he mumbled, releasing me, the same time I said, "uh, thanks."

"Who is this?" my dad asked with raised eyebrows, coming up to us. I backed away from Austin a bit, so my back was pressed against the counter.

"You must be Mr. Dawson. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Austin Moon. I'm friends with your daughter, Ally," Austin explained politely, holding his hand out for my dad to shake it. My father stared at it for a brief second before finally shaking it, a little tighter than really necessary. Yikes.

I mentally gave props to myself for never ranting to my dad about how Austin and his friends used to bully me. That would have most likely caused World War III, which I wasn't exactly interesting in watching or causing, thank you very much.

"Hello, Austin," my dad said firmly, tightening his grip on Austin's hand. Austin glanced at me in fright, but still didn't pull his hand away. I meant to smile reassuringly at him, but I was afraid it looked more like a grimace.

Eventually my dad released his grip on Austin, brushing his hands on his blue jeans. "Alrighty, then," my dad said brightly, smiling wide. "Well, Ally, I suppose you can hang out with your friend ..." he said the last word suggestively before trailing off.

I grinned at him, hugging him tightly before quickly pulling away. "Thanks, Dad, gotta go, love you, bye," I said in a rush, grabbing Austin's left wrist and literally dragging him out of Sonic Boom.

Austin raised an eyebrow at me when I came to stop, breathing heavily in front of the cell phone accessory cart. I had never really stopped here before, unless you count the time Trish showed me every single place she worked, which of course meant she yanked me around all of Miami. Nobody had been working here, though, so I assumed they were on their break that afternoon.

However, someone was definitely working here now. Someone all too familiar. I shoved Austin's arm before pointing subtlety at the cart. He stared at it completely slack jaw for a second before snorting loudly, giving away our cover. I blushed furiously when the guy turned around quickly, and we came face to face.

It was Dallas. Just like I thought.

"You work at the cell phone accessory cart?!" I yelped, barely holding in my giggles. I wasn't mean like the populars, so I was trying my hardest not to laugh. I could tell that Austin was, too, although I heard a quiet chuckle escape. Oh, well. Old habits die hard.

Dallas rolled his eyes. "No one's going to believe you."

I raised an eyebrow delicately. "Who said we were planning on telling anybody? That is, until you suggested it," I fired back. Austin snickered then, probably because of the look on Dallas's face. He looked like he really wished he could turn back time. Join the club, buddy.

After a moment, he simply rolled his eyes again. "Whatever, Dorkson. Just don't tell anyone, or you're both going to regret it."

I laughed lightly. "Ooh, threats. Nice. If you honestly think threatening us is the way to keep us quiet, Dallas, you're dead wrong," I said simply. Austin nodded in agreement, causing Dallas to exhale loudly.

"Fine, whatever. Sorry. Ugh. Just keep this between us, 'kay?"

I glanced at Austin in surprise. Did Dallas seriously just apologize? I quickly turned back to Dallas and opened my mouth to respond, but Austin beat me to it.

"No promises, buddy," he said with a happy, innocent smile.

I playfully rolled my eyes. "What he means to say is, it'll be our little secret," I interjected.

Austin glared down at me. "Uh, no. That's not what he meant to say," he attested, still glaring at me. I looked up and smiled sheepishly at him, just now realizing our huge height difference. He sighed loudly in exasperation, but shrugged, his way of agreeing with me. I grinned in pride. Success.

Dallas looked genuinely shocked, but then smiled a bit. "Thank you, Ally, Austin. I really appreciate it," he said, smiling warmly at me. I smiled back, twirling my hair around on my pointer finger. I vaguely wondered if Dallas and I were having a moment.

"Yeah, well, Ally and I gotta go, so later, have fun working at your geeky job," Austin said all at once, latching onto my hand and yanking me away from Dallas and the cell phone accessory cart.

I pulled away the second we halted to a stop, placing both of my hands on my hips. "All right, what was that about?!" I shouted, feeling a pang of annoyance. I was almost positive Dallas and I were having a slight moment, and needless to say, I was more than a little irritated at Austin for wrecking it.

Austin huffed and rolled his eyes. "Ally, I saw that look on your face. All lovestruck. Listen, first of all, Dallas has a freaking girlfriend, who hates us both. Cassidy. Remember? Second of all, he's bad news. Really bad. Trust me."

I gaped at him for a second before exhaling loudly. "Austin, come on. I wasn't staring at him "all lovestruck" or whatever. That was just happiness. Yes, I remember Cassidy, and yes, I know she despises us both. And hey, I was pretty sure you were bad news, too! So you aren't one to judge!" I don't really know where all of that came from, but hey.

"But I'm not bad news! He is!"

I laughed humorlessly. "How do you know that, Austin?"

"Because! I just do! Please trust me, Alls. Please."

I shook my head sarcastically. "That's not a good enough reason, Austin. I strongly believe in second chances, and that should be quite obvious. I wouldn't even be talking to you right now if I did not. Unlike you, I'm positive everyone has at least a little goodness in them. And you aren't my mom or dad. You can't decide who I do or do not put in my life. So please just leave me alone!" I yelled, turning abruptly on my heel and storming off.

Maybe all those books I read were wrong. Second chances seem to be overrated. At least, when it came to certain people.


	10. Chapter 10

Dis_**claimer: Don't own anything but this donut in my hand.**_

_**A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating! I have some chapters prewritten and everything, I just keep forgetting to update. But thank you so much for 45 reviews! Do you think we could reach fifty soon? ;D Thank you! Enjoy! **_

_** Austin's POV. **_

I watched Ally as she stormed off, feeling totally helpless. I should have just told her why I didn't trust Dallas. Maybe things wouldn't currently be so totally screwed up. But I knew she would go on and tell the world, nobody would believe her, and she would get bullied even more. That was the inevitable if I told her the truth. So, instead, here I was, unable to get that look of pure hatred in her eyes out of my mind. All because I wanted to protect her.

All right, guys, listen up. I'm going to tell you a story, and hopefully you're going to listen. Well, I'm really, really hoping you will because this is extremely important.

A couple months ago, Elliot, Dallas and I were all hanging out at Elliot's mansion. And yes, I actually said mansion. His parents were stinking rich. Anyways, we were talking about girls we liked and Elliot asked Dallas about Cassidy. See, this was before Cassidy and Dallas started going out and we're just rumored about liking each other. Dallas snorted and said that he was working on getting her to go out with him. Then, he would make her fall in love with him, and then eventually dump her and break her heart into a million tiny pieces. Just like he did with his last girlfriend, Tilly Thompson. Yeah, he had a thing for blondes.

That was what Dallas always did. He convinced girls to go out with him, get them to fall for him, then dumped them and broke their hearts. Always. That was literally one of his favorite hobbies. I didn't want him doing that to Ally, too. And I had to make sure he wouldn't. I had to find a way to keep Ally and Dallas away from each other. Even if it involved extreme measures.

. . .

Soon enough, it was Monday. Ally and I hadn't spoke since our little argument Saturday, but I wasn't worried. It was only a day and a half, after all. No big deal. Besides, it gave me enough time to come up with a genius plan, so everything was actually pretty great.

"Is everyone clear on the plan?" I asked my friends as we walked towards the school from the parking lot, the sun beating down on us. Jace, Kira, Gavin, Carrie, Trish and Dez all nodded, and I grinned in relief. It took awhile to get Dez to comprehend the plan, but after explaining it to him twelve and a half times, he finally understood it.

There was two hours of my life I'll never get back.

The first people we saw when we entered the school were Elliot, Cassidy, Dallas and ... Ally. Except, she didn't exactly look like Ally. Which of course made all seven of us stop abruptly, causing a slight domino effect - I bumped into Carrie, who bumped into Jace, who bumped into Trish, who bumped into Gavin, who bumped into Dez, who immediately hit the ground, face first. I sighed quietly while our wonderful fellow peers laughed loudly at his fall. Trish helped him up before shooting a death glare at everyone laughing. They silenced instantly.

I tore my eyes away from my friends and bit my lower lip when I caught sight of the girl again. Yep, my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. It was most definitely Ally Dawson. Sort of.

She had gotten those amber highlights she had told me about a few days ago, but that wasn't the only change. Besides her highlights and slightly darkened brown hair, chestnut now, really, her entire wardrobe was completely different. Skin tight turquoise skinny jeans, a light purple tank top, a patterned crop top over it and white wedges. No knee socks. No white cardigans. No peach knee length dresses.

"There is no freaking way that's Ally," Trish hissed, the first of us to actually say anything. There were murmurs of agreement from Carrie, Kira, Jace and Dez - Gavin was too busy gawking at her to notice or hear much of anything else. But I knew better. She had been wanting to change for awhile now. And I guess she finally did it when everybody least expected it.

She giggled at something Dallas said, totally unaware of the glare Cassidy was shooting her. The glare quickly faded when Ally glanced at her, transforming into a completely fake smile that Ally unfortunately bought. I gritted my teeth together tightly. "Come on," I said through my clenched teeth, striding towards the populars and Ally. The others followed behind me almost instantaneously, excluding Gavin, who gaped at Ally for another brief second before trailing behind us.

"Oh, look, it's the Nerd Squad," Elliot said with a malicious grin. "How are you guys doing? Oh, and what do you think of our latest recruit?"

Trish's face fell, but she recovered, shaking her head. "No. They're ... they must be joking. Right, Ally? Please tell me they are joking," she pleaded.

Ally snickered, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, Trishy," she said sarcastically, obviously biting back her laughs. "But they're not. Now, can you all please move? You're blocking my light."

Trish flinched back, smashing into Kira and Dez, who fortunately steadied her. Carrie swallowed loudly, looking demolished. "Ally ..." she started slowly, seeming unsure of what to say.

Ally groaned in exasperation. "God, will these dorks ever shut up? My ears are bleeding from their voices," she sneered at Cassidy, acting as if we weren't even there, or if we were deaf or something. Kira took a step back, looking conflicted as she locked eyes with Elliot. I switched my attention back to Ally, though. She's what mattered to me at the moment.

"We're your best friends," Dez squeaked out, looking just as demolished as Carrie. And, me? I had absolutely no clue what I looked like right now. I duvet exactly care, though. Which was strange, because I loved looking at my reflection and all.

Ally snorted, smirking slightly. "Oh, puh-lease. Maybe I was friends with you before because of a terribly long lapse of good judgement, but these guys are my friends now. So, if you don't mind, we have to go. Not to anywhere in particular, we just don't like hanging around total nerds too long. It wrecks our awesome reputations. Nothing personal, really, expect it truly is."

Jace nudged me, gesturing to our surroundings. I warily tore my gaze away from Ally and the others, just to see that we pretty much had the entire school population staring at us. I was honestly surprises they didn't have popcorn or anything. My eyes eventually landed on Piper, and I patiently waited for the pounding of my heart I usually felt when I saw her.

Nothing happened.

I sighed quietly, looking over at Ally again. "This isn't you," I stated once I found my voice again. The sarcasm faded from her gorgeous brown eyes for a moment, showing a bit of vulnerability, but it was gone faster than it appeared.

"It is now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. After that, she turned to her brand new "friends" or whatever. "Come on, guys. Let's ditch these freaks," she exclaimed with a grin, pushing past Cassidy and Elliot and prancing off. Elliot and Cassidy immediately followed her, but Dallas lingered for a moment, smirking at us.

"She's ours now. Sorry, losers," he said with a bright smile before heading after Ally, Cassidy and Elliot.

I looked over at my friends once I could no longer seen their -well, her- retreating figures. "Well," I started, coughing awkwardly. "So much for my plan."

"Yeah, no duh," Kira snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. "God, I hate Cassidy and Dallas," she grumbled. Nobody seemed to acknowledge the fact that she excluded Elliot's name, although we all nodded in agreement. Except Trish.

"I'm not feeling too good," the curly haired girl muttered, not meeting anybody's eyes. "I think I'm gonna go home," she added before practically running out of the school. I heard a choked sob before she slammed the door behind her. Des hesitated for only a second before racing after her, not even giving any of us a second glance.

I swallowed hard. "We should get to class," I eventually forced out.

Carrie frowned delicately. "But what about Ally?"

"I don't know," I said honestly before pushing past them. I didn't even know if they followed after me, nor did I care. But once I looked behind me before opening the door to my first class of the day, I saw that they hadn't moved an inch. I exhaled loudly, entering the room and trying to block out what Ally had said.

_ "It is now." _


	11. Chapter 11

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. :)_**

**_A/N: Trying to update more often! :D You guys are the best, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. It means the world to me, and it makes me so happy every time I get an email from ya. I love you guys! :D _**

**_Austin's POV (yes, him again)._**

"Austin Monica Moon, why in the world is Ally Dawson one of the populars?" Piper hissed, appearing by my side at my locker. I rolled my eyes, slamming my locker door shut in annoyance. She was honestly the last person I wanted to talk to right now, because I just knew she was going to interrogate me, as always. And I didn't need it right now.

"I don't know, Piper!" I yelped, striding away from my locker. She followed after me immediately, and I held back a groan. "Why don't you ask her?"

"Because I'm asking you."

I pressed my lips together tightly, not quite sure how to respond to that. "I don't know," I repeated, quieter this time. "We got into a fight Saturday-"

"What?!"

"-because Dallas was kinda flirting with her-"

"Again, what?!"

"-and she yelled at me and stormed off-"

"Again again, what?!"

"-and if you keep interrupting me, I'm going to walk away, Piper," I snapped. She smiled sheepishly, pretending to lock her lips with her fingers and throw the key away. I rolled my eyes yet again, starting to walk away. But of course, she tagged along. It so figured she'd be my new best friend when I didn't want her around whatsoever. Go figure.

I ended up running into Carrie and Jace in my rush to get to the cafeteria. Carrie stumbled back a bit, and I vaguely wondered why she and Jace was exiting the cafeteria when lunch break had literally just started.

"Why are you guys leaving so soon?" Piper asked them, as if reading my mind. I raised my eyebrows at my two friends, who were casually avoiding eye contact. Kira and Gavin trailed behind them, stopping abruptly when they noticed me and Piper.

"Ally," Kira stated simply. I glanced at Piper before shoving past everyone in another haste to get into the cafeteria, although this time it wasn't so I could ditch my ex girlfriend. Well, it kind of was, but not as much.

Oh, it was Ally, all right. Well, New Ally. She was laughing at some of the freshmen kids, making fun of their outfit choices. The funny thing was, they weren't so very different from her old clothes. In fact, the resemblance was uncanny. Almost as if they were inspired by Ally or something.

"Austin," Kira whispered, grabbing my wrist and attempting to yank me away. I easily pulled out of her grasp, though, storming up to Ally and the others. I heard the sound of heels clanking against the floor, an obvious sign that Kira was right behind me. Well, it was good to know I had back up if needed.

I stopped abruptly once I was right in front of Ally, putting myself in between her and the freshmen. Kira paused a couple feet behind me, quietly beginning to counsel a crying freshman girl, who was clearly biting back sobs. I heard the crying girl choke out something like, "I just wanted to be like her." So, my suspicions were confirmed. Great. The one freaking time I'm right.

"What's your problem?!" I shouted, not even caring when Ally flinched back. She recovered quickly, though, putting her hands on her hips and raising both eyebrows at me.

She laughed lightly when she noticed my bewildered expression, shaking her head slightly. "Right now, the fact that I'm stuck looking at your face. Honestly, why don't you just go try to write a song or something? Key word: Try. Because, my God, this kid couldn't write a song if his life defended on it," she said between laughs.

Ouch.

I heard the sound of more footsteps. I spun around, nearly slamming into Jace, Carrie and Gavin. Carrie pushed past me, so there was barely any distance at all between her and Ally. "Why?" the blond girl asked softly, a mixture of pain of surprise in her normally innocent eyes.

Ally shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not?"

Jace grabbed Carrie's wrist and tugged her away from Ally, because the usually calm girl looked like she was literally about to explode. "Because it's wrong," she yelped, a strand of her blond hair getting stuck to her lips as Jace continued pulling her away, courtesy of her lip gloss.

I glanced over at our newest guest, i.e. Piper, as she helped Kira cheer up the unhappy freshmen, telling them stories about adventures she and Carrie used to go on when they were younger. I couldn't help but wonder what drove a wedge between the two. It seemed like they were attached at the hip when they were children.

I looked back over at Ally, gnawing on the inside of my cheek. "You're in way over your head," I said quietly before calmly exiting the cafeteria. I felt the eyes of my peers as they stared after me, but I honestly couldn't care less.

Less than a minute later my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket, figuring it was Dez or Trish. Usually I would assume it would be Gavin, Jace, Kira, Carrie or Piper, but if they had anything to say to me, they would just find me in the halls.

**From: Alls**

**I'm sorry. I swear I can explain. Meet me at Sonic Boom after your detention, please. I promise I can clear everything up.**

. . .

Needless to say, the rest of the day passed in a blur. By the time detention was over I was literally so eager to get to Sonic Boom it was unbelievable. I may or may not have smashed into the glass doors of the shop in my rush. But that's not the point.

"If you only called us here to bully us some more, I'm out," I heard Trish snap.

Ally sighed, running her fingers through her wavy hair. "I said I was sorry, okay? And I will clear things up as soon as Aus- Oh, hey, Austin."

I scoffed at her, shutting the doors behind me and striding up to the counter, hopping up and sitting near the cash register. I knew it would annoy the heck out of her, which is why I did it. Although unfortunately, she didn't even acknowledge it. I locked eyes with Dez, who was standing with Trish near the doors. Noticing my state, he simply shrugged. I bit my lip, training my eyes back on Ally. "Explain," I deadpanned.

She looked at me, then Trish, then Dez, then Kira, then Jace, then Carrie, then Gavin, and then me again. She exhaled quietly, seemingly in frustration. "I don't want to be like them, you know."

"Then why are you acting like a carbon copy of Cassidy?" Carrie asked softly.

Ally kept her eyes locked on me as she spoke once again. "I have to keep my enemies close," she murmured, tearing her gaze away from me. "And who would ever suspect that sweet little Ally Dawson would pretend to be their friend, just so she can take them down?"

Silence.

_Then._

"I have never been more proud of you!" Trish squealed, racing up to Ally and throwing her arms around her. Ally laughed, hugging back quickly before pulling away. Kira, Jace, Gavin and Dez were all exclaiming that she was a total genius, whereas Carrie and I stayed silent. Ally, eventually realizing this, looked at us with concern. She open her mouth, most likely to question us, but Carrie beat her to it.

"No," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "That's not how I wanted us to gain our popularity back. We're supposed to be the good guys. Not the fake ones. That's their jobs, not ours."

Ally sighed quietly. "I'm sorry, okay? But face it, being a goody goody never got me anywhere. Maybe I just want to be a bad girl for awhile."

"But that's not you," I blurted stupidly.

"It is now," she mumbled, echoing her words from earlier. I gritted my teeth together tightly, grabbing her wrist and leading her upstairs to the practice room. Completely ignoring the "Keep Out" sign, I pushed the door open and slammed it behind us. She stared up at me in confusion, and I begrudgingly released her wrist.

How exactly do you tell someone they've totally lost their mind? Is there, like, a guidebook for that or something? Or a WikiHow page? No? Okay. Guess I'll just have to wing it. "Please just be you," I said unthinkingly, even surprising myself.

"Why should I?"

"Because there's _no one_ better."


	12. Chapter 12

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. Wish I did, but aye. _**

**_A/N: Hii, guys! I just wanted to thank you all for over fifty reviews! You guys are the best! Okay, now onto the story. ;D Enjoyyy! _**

**_Ally's_**** POV. **

_Because there's no one better. _

"I can think of someone better," I mumbled, staring down at my wedges. Austin tilted my head back up with his pointer finger, but for some reason didn't pull away. I felt the blush rise to my cheeks, and silently prayed he wouldn't notice. There was absolutely no way I was letting this boy know about the effect he has on me. Nuh-uh. Nope. No, thank you.

He raised both eyebrows, looking honestly confused. "Who?" he asked, almost sounding ... dare I say, jealous. Yeah, I know. As if, right? "Trish? Dez? Oh, please don't say Dallas."

I laughed lightly, shaking my head. "No. Well, yes to the first two, but also, no," I paused, pulling away from him, just to lean towards his ear. "You," I whispered softly.

He wrapped his arms around my waist immediately, squashing me against him. I froze for a split second before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging back tightly. I thought I heard his mumble sounding thank sounded vaguely like a, "falling for you was not part of the plan," but I wasn't certain. I mean, really, why would Austin Moon fall for Ally Dawson? The mere thought is humorous.

. . .

Four weeks. Four straight weeks of pretending to be one of the populars during school hours, then heading home and hanging out with the others. I knew Carrie and Jace weren't exactly supportive of my plan. In fact, they thought it was crazy. And just plain annoying that we couldn't even make eye contact at school anymore. And Austin, something was different about him. He almost seemed ... broken.

It was at the five week mark that everything went wrong.

"I'm tired of this, Ally," Austin said abruptly, actually tearing his gaze away from his phone screen. I looked at him questionably, shutting my laptop off and plopping down on my bed, crossing my right leg over my left one.

I patted the empty space besides me, but he stayed at my desk ... across the room. I shrugged, the questioning look not leaving my face. "Tired of what?"

"I'm tired of the games. I'm tired of your game. I never even wanted to be a player, Ally, yet here I am. I'm not even allowed to look at you in school anymore, yet we talk or text every second of every day, at least, whenever they're not around. But the thing is, it's getting hard to tell the difference between Real Ally and Fake Ally. The lines are blurring, Alls, because you're acting like Fake Ally consistently these days," he paused, taking a big gulp of air.

I froze, allowing his words to sink in. Was he right? Was I actually turning into one of them?

"Everyday, your skirts get shorter, your heels get higher, your hair gets straighter. And I know because I pay attention to every single detail about you, unwillingly. I don't even understand myself right now, because I'm-" he cut off suddenly, clenching his teeth.

I swallowed hard. "You're what, Austin?"

He shook his head sarcastically, chuckling bitterly. "I'm nothing. At least, according to you. Those "untrue" insults you come up with whenever your so-called friends convince you to bully me, or any of the others, actually hurt. I'm untalented. Dez is stupid. Carrie is retarded. Do you even think before you speak anymore?"

Silence. What could I say, anyway? He was right. And we both knew it.

"Yesterday, you actually called them your friends during our hangout with Carrie and Jace. You realize that, right? Your. Friends," he focused on pronouncing each syllable of the last two words. I flinched back involuntarily.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Yeah ... so am I," he said darkly before grabbing his backpack, tossing it over his shoulder and storming out of my room. I stared after him blankly, not even trying to chase after him. What was the point? He probably hated me. I bet they all did. And with good reason.

I became my worst nightmare.

. . .

The next morning, I dressed in my clothes from when I first started to change. Black jeans, a black and white polka dotted tank top, a white vest, and white wedges. I smiled at my reflection, especially proud of my hair. My wavy hair. And let's not forget those glorious purple circles under my eyes. I didn't even bother concealing them. Shocker, right?

After applying a light layer of lip gloss, I grabbed my old pink and gray backpack and headed downstairs. I knew the days of straight hair, lip stick, and extremely short skirts were over. As were my days of being a popular.

. . .

"What are you wearing?" Cassidy asked with an amused laugh, looking me up and down in disgust. I internally rolled my eyes, not quite believing I had actually considered her one of my true friends for awhile. I was pretty sure I had scared off my real friends, although I was planning on fixing that today. No matter what.

"Actual clothes," I said with an innocent grin.

By now we had attracted the attention of the majority of our peers. Which was unsurprising, since we were popular. I was for the moment being, at least. I was planning on changing that within the next few minutes, though, so no worries.

Dallas and Elliot appeared seemingly out of midair, flanking Cassidy. Dallas was on her left side, Elliot was on her right. They were preparing for an argument, that much was obvious. My God, how fast they turned on me the second I stopped dressing like a knockoff of Cassidy. "I'm out," I announced.

Elliot raised a single eyebrow. "Our of what? New clothes? Just go shopping or something. Cassidy will even go with you. That way, she'll make sure you buy stuff that don't make you look like a total good girl. Because you can't be a good girl, s'long as you're one of us, yanno."

I glanced at Austin, before turning back to Elliot, Dallas, and Cassidy. "Then I guess I'm not one of you anymore. Because, honestly, I've always been a sort of good girl. Sorry if that disappoints or annoys you or whatever. That is who I am, and I don't want to pretend to be something, someone, I'm not. It's pointless, and I'm done. I'm tired of being unhappy, I'm tired of bullying innocent kids, all of it," I paused, taking a deep breath. "I don't mean a single thing I say to them, and I'm sick of lying. I miss my old friends. You guys were never my true friends in the first place, and everyone knows that. You put me through hell for so long, and suddenly you're my besties? Please."

Cassidy snickered. "Took you long enough to realize we were only using you. We knew it would irritate your so-called friends or whatever, especially the blond boy that is so lovesick when it comes to you, so we took advantage of you and your desire for change. Whoops," she added sarcastically.

"Well, that's quite ironic, since I only joined your little group to take you guys down. But my good friends, my real friends, helped me realize that wasn't the best way to kick you guys off your popularity thrones. I mean, really. Not one of my best plans," I said without a second thought.

Silence.

And then, get this, cheers. Actual cheers, from my fellow peers, obviously excluding the populars. Eventually, my friends, the ones I had unintentionally been hurting these past few weeks, joined in, cheering louder than anyone else. I laughed, striding towards them, just to be engulfed in huge hugs from everyone.

Except Austin.

I locked eyes with him once everyone else let go. We stayed that way for a couple moments, simply staring at each other, before eventually Austin wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling my close to him. I hugged back tightly, burying my face in his chest, whereas he buried his face in my neck. I felt his breath and shivered unwillingly. I heard him chuckle quietly.

"It's good to have you back, Dawson."

"It's good to be back, Monica."

"You could've just said my last name!"

"Oh, I know."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally. :)**_

_**A/N: LAURA MARANO REPLIED TO ME ON TWITTER YESTERDAY GOD **_

_**Austin's POV. **_

I could totally say things were back to normal once Ally returned. I definitely could say that, and you all would believe me, wouldn't you? But I'd be lying, and I'm not exactly a liar.

She drifted away from all of us, except Trish. Which, yes, means she also distanced herself from Dez, which we all thought was kind of odd. But none of us commented on her strange behavior, only allowing her to do whatever she wanted to. But I couldn't help but feel a little pushed away. I figured that maybe she was mad at me for what I said the day before she dropped out of the popular group, but when I tried to talk to her about it, she simply shook her head and ran off with Trish before I could get even two sentences out.

After a couple weeks of Ally completely avoiding me, Carrie and Jace called a sort of meeting. I was more than a little surprised when I saw Ally and Trish both there. Especially since after Trish figured out Ally was avoiding us, she also began to totally ignore us. It was getting a bit irritating. But, now here they were.

Why were girls so complicated?

My theory about girls being extremely complicated was proved when Ally sat besides me, even though there was an empty seat next to Trish. Dez, realizing this, quickly plopped down by the curly haired girl. I was beginning to think he had slight more than friends theories for Trish, although I had caught him staring at Carrie a few times. Okay, let me rephrase that: Life itself was complicated. There. Much better.

Not that I could exactly judge. I was already attached to Ally, although I was only supposed to be spending time with her to prove a point to Piper and win her back. But the butterflies with Piper were just gone. All I ever felt towards her recently was annoyance, and it seemed like that feeling was mutual. I didn't mind, though. Not in the least bit.

"I've been expecting you guys!" Carrie yelled out, before pausing and giggling quietly. "I've always wanted to say that. But, okay. We haven't hung out much recently. You know, all of us together. It feels like we're all drifting apart, which is kind of terrifying me."

"Yeah," Jace added, speaking up. "Mainly because that's what happens with the populars."

Carrie nodded in agreement. "Exactly! And I really don't want that happening to us. I mean, you're all so awesome and stuff."

Kira smiled a bit, but then sighed quietly. "Besides, we need to stick together if we're ever going to succeed in overthrowing Elliot, Cassidy and Dallas." I heard a hint of sadness in her voice, and I was pretty much certain that was because of Elliot. He had been even more of a jerk lately, flirting with brainless blond bombshells in front of Kira's face, knowing exactly how to get to her. It was sickening.

Which explained how come Kira and I had somehow grown closer these past two and a half weeks. It wasn't a romantic type of thing, although Gavin had accused me of that a few times. Which I responded to by bringing up the longing stares he had been giving Piper while she was walking down the halls in school, which resulted in him flushing furiously. I knew I should be jealous that he liked her, and had a pretty great chance with her, but I wasn't. Not whatsoever.

Stupid me, growing so attached to my so-called distraction. How dumb was I? Oh, I'll answer that for you: I wasn't even dumb, I was freaking retarded. At least, when it came to this situation.

Ally fidgeted the slightest bit, causing her arm to brush against mine. I bit down on my lower lip as hard as I could without drawing blood, trying to control myself. I didn't even know why she was sitting besides me. I mean, hadn't she already been avoiding me for a couple weeks or so? (Eighteen days. But who's counting? Oh, that's right. Me.)

Trish glanced over at us, sending me a warning glare. I stared back innocently, honestly not knowing what the heck I did to make them both despise me so much. Although Ally must not despise me too much if she was sitting next to me. Then again, maybe she and Trish just got into a disagreement or something. You never know.

"So, you called us here ... for a hang out?" Trish asked slowly, seemingly having trouble comprehending the situation. Carrie nodded eagerly, flinching back when Trish let out a bitter laugh. She stood up immediately, locking eyes with Ally before storming out of Carrie's house. We all stared after her blankly, not exactly knowing what to do or say. Eventually Ally and Dez both hopped up. I followed after then almost instantly, easily falling into step with the two friends.

Ally spun around at the sound of my footsteps before stopping abruptly, causing Dez to accidentally slam into her. She apologized without hesitation, but kept her gaze locked on me. I returned her look with one with an equal amount of intensity. She frowned for a moment before shrugging it off and following Dez. I exhaled loudly before tagging behind her. That is, until Dez came to a halt and turned to face us.

"I think it's best if I just talk to her myself," Dez said, serious for once. Ally and I glanced at each other before nodding in unison. He smiled slightly, although it quickly faded as he broke out into a run.

I stared at the ground awkwardly, purposely avoiding eye contact with Ally. "So," I muttered, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. She laughed lightly, humorlessly, before returning to silence. I groaned, finally looking up to face her. "Okay, what is your problem?" I snapped, feeling bitter.

She met my eyes and glared daggers at me. I actually winced both inwardly and outwardly at the look in her eyes. "You," she said simply, still maintaining eye contact.

I raised a single eyebrow at that. "All right, seriously? Why? What did I do to make you hate me so much?!" I shouted. I could practically feel something inside me snap, so here I was, screaming at the girl who had been causing all of this pain inside.

"Everything! It's everything you do, everything you are! I'm sick of it, sick of you and your confidence and easygoing smile and just everything! I just hate you because don't understand when you hurt me, and if you do, you simply act like you don't care. And I'm sick of it. I'm so sick of it, Austin. I already know you only wanted to help me get over my stupid stage fright so you could win Piper back. I don't want to be used anymore, Austin. I'm done. I'm freaking done with you and your friends and everything and everyone else. By the way, please tell Carrie and the others I'm out. I never cared about popularity, anyway. I cared about you. You! I figured maybe there was more depth to you than you showed, but you proved me wrong. Of course. So, please just leave me alone from now on, okay?"

I froze. It felt almost as if my beating heart had abruptly skidded to a halt. I hadn't known Ally long, only a couple months, but I still knew I would do anything for her, even though she hadn't once let down her walls and opened up to me. It was strange, she knew about me and my friends and my parents and the rest of my family. She knew my hopes and dreams, My wishes and what I longed for the most. Even though Kira and I had bonded slightly these past couple weeks, Ally was still my best friend.

But honestly, I barely knew a thing about her and her life.

"Austin?" she pressed, still watching me intently. I took a deep breath, trying to regain control over my emotions. I was supposed to be the cool guy. There was absolutely no way I was going to break down in front of this girl.

And after a moment, I forced myself to return back to normal. "Okay," I mumbled, hoping my voice wouldn't shake. It didn't. Ally stared at me for another few seconds before biting her upper lip, turning on her heel and striding away. Realizing that this could be it, this was most likely goodbye, I turned around, as well, and walked off in the opposite direction. I didn't glance back once, as much as I wanted to. And, believe me. I really, really wanted to.

But I didn't.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally or Jennette MCCurdy's cover of "Breakeven," by The Script. (:**_

_**A/N: Kind of short chapter, buuut a huge realization in here to make up for it!**_

_**Ally's POV.**_

I looked back once, just to see that he was leaving, too. I inhaled sharply, trying to ignore the throbbing pang in my heart. I convinced myself to keep going, even though every other part of me, excluding my brain, wanted me to spin around and chase after him. But I couldn't. I wanted to become a good person again, the girl I was before I joined in with the populars. And I needed to push Austin away to do that.

It actually wasn't because of him, exactly, or anything he did or said. It was just the first thing that popped into my head when I saw him standing there, with those puppy dog eyes, looking at me pleadingly. I knew I probably would have snapped and blurted out everything. And I couldn't risk that. So I did what I always did best: I made him hate me.

But honestly, like I was saying, it wasn't him. It was Piper.

It was one of those boring days after I rejoined my real friends. I had absolutely nothing to do, and everyone was busy. Austin was out with Gavin and Dez, Trish was hanging out with Kira, Carrie was roped into a family dinner, Dad was working, and Jace was at a skating competition. So, it was just me. I suppose I could have crashed Trish and Kira's hang out, but I didn't feel like being a third wheel (the two girls had grown a little closer while I was one of the populars).

Can you guess what I did?

Probably not.

I called Piper and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner.

It was while we were enjoying our tiny delicacies at Mini's that she said it. I swear, I almost choked on my small little pizza. In fact, I think I actually did. I can't remember much after she said those few, innocent words:

"I'm in love with Austin."

I can't remember much after that, besides her making me swear not to tell a soul. I promised and exited quickly after blurting out some lame excuse I can't even recall. I went home, raced upstairs to my bedroom, slammed the door and locked it. I knew my dad was home, and I knew he must be worried about me, but at the moment, I couldn't care less. You wanna know why?

It was the instant she said those five little words that I realized something really, really important. Yeah, it turns out Piper isn't the only one in love with Austin.

So was I.

But it was so excruciatingly clear his heart already belonged to Piper. It made so much sense, too. She was gorgeous, with her long blond her and pretty eyes and amazing fashion taste. I was a potato compared to her, and everyone knew it. Including Austin. I was sure of it.

What I wasn't sure of was how long I had been in love with him. Well, actually, if I was being honest with myself, it had been even before we became friends, or whatever we were. But I never put him ahead of people, I never tried to help him with his songwriting more than once. But with Piper, he finally had a girl that would put him first.

I froze suddenly before grabbing my top secret songbook/journal/diary, yanking it open, snatching a pencil out of my notebook and started to write.

_His best days will be some of my worst._

_He finally met a girl that's gonna put him first._

I paused before realizing that I needed to add something before it, just to give a general idea of the song. Not that I even really knew what the general idea was. All I knew was that I was here, alone in my bedroom at ten P.M., writing an angsty song. I felt like Taylor Swift (that girl rocks, by the way).

_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing._

_Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in._

_'Cause I got time while he got freedom._

_'Cause when a heart breaks, no, it don't break even._

Breakeven. I like the sound of that ...

It was a few moments later I was scribbling down some more random lyrics. I knew none of this was in the proper order, but I eventually decided I would just fix it all up later. No need to mess with the creativity process now. It came only ever so often.

_What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?_

_And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay?_

_I'm falling to pieces, yeah, I'm falling to pieces._

Pointedly ignoring the tear stains on my paper, I kept writing. I was writing away the pain. At least, I honestly hoped so.

_Oh, you got her heart and my heart and none of the pain._

_You took your suitcase, I took the blame._

_Now I'm try'na make sense of what little remains, ooh._

_'Cause you left me with no love to my name._

. . .

Five hours, two cups of coffee, a box of tissues and a small bag jar of pickles later, the song was finished. I reread it once before sighing loudly. I tossed my book, grinning slightly when I landed right smack in the middle of my desk. A moment or so later I reached over and turned my bedside table lamp off, suddenly surrounded in total darkness. Not that I really minded. I loved the darkness. For some strange, unknown reason it helped me sort out my thoughts better than when I was surrounded by light and various objects.

But tonight, I had no more thinking to do. I poured my heart out into that song, and I had nothing left to say, nothing left to think about. I was free.

At least, for now.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally(:**_

_**A/N: Thank you guys SO much for seven reviews on the last chapter! You guys are all so incredible, and I'm glad you're enjoying my story. Thank youuu! **_

_**Austin's POV.**_

It's one week after Ally untangled herself from my life and I honestly never knew I could feel so many different kinds of pain.

Empty:

She was the one person in my life I trusted with every little thing, from my insecurities to pet peeves. I was an open book to her. Right now, though, it felt like she tore all the pages out because I'm feeling pretty empty.

Abandonment:

My parents main attention was on their mattress store. Even at dinnertime they were practically attached to their beloved smartphones, which explains why I usually just hang with friends. But with Ally, I guess I just kind of assumed she would always be there. And she left. Guess I'm wrong again.

Loneliness:

It felt weird, not having someone to call to freak out over the smallest to the biggest of things. I mean, sure, I have Kira and Jace and Gavin. But not Ally. And all I ever wanted these days was Ally. Cloud watching club and all.

Helplessness:

I needed that girl, more than I could really comprehend. I didn't even know why I was so attached, but I was. There was just something about her. And I wanted her back in my life, as soon as humanly possible. But I knew that any attempts I tried were useless. She hated me, and "everything I was."

Just plain agony:

"I just hate you because don't understand when you hurt me, and if you do, you simply act like you don't care."

I hadn't been able to get that sentence out of my mind these past seven days. She hated me. She actually hated me. She even admitted to it. And there wasn't much I could do to change her feelings, preferably to the exact opposite of hate. Ha. As if.

So, these days I spent the majority of my time in my room, when I wasn't being a total loner at school. I told the others that Ally had opted out of Carrie's plan, and I was also leaving the group. There was some confusion about this, but from what I saw when I actually did pay the slightest bit of attention to my surroundings in school, they had adjusted fairly well. In fact, they seemed even more popular now that Ally and I were gone. I knew that was probably more because of my departure than hers, especially since more and more girls were beginning to copy her style. I vaguely wondered if she noticed.

I tried songwriting a few times but gave up after about twenty minutes of staring at a blank sheet of paper. It was useless. I couldn't even come up with a single verse when Ally was helping me, much less without her help. There goes my chances of ever making it.

I guess my mom and dad were right.

. . .

One week turned into two, then three, then four. My grades were slowly starting to drop, but I couldn't care less. I actually liked it when my parents grounded me. There was no one to hang out with or anything to do, anyway. That just lessened the pressure of going outside and living my life and all that other crap that's recommended.

It wasn't until the fifth week that I began to actually pay attention in school again. That is, to stuff that was not named Ally Dawson or involving Ally Dawson. I picked my grades up, usually averaging to a B or so, which was a great improvement from the Ds and Fs I had been getting lately. But my thoughts still revolved around Ally. Of course. Some things never change. That was obviously one of them.

Halloween passed in a blur. I spent the entire night locked up in my room, studying. Yup, you read right. I, Austin (Monica) Moon skipped out on partying to study. All because I needed distraction from my distraction. Yeah, I was pretty whipped.

Before I really knew it, it was November 13th. Officially two months since Ally told me she hated me. She had rejoined Jace, Dez, Carrie and the others around Halloween, which meant I saw her even more often in the school crowds. I knew they were rising to popularity. They would probably overthrow Dallas, Elliot and Cassidy before winter break in December. And everyone knew it, which explained why some of the cheerleaders were beginning to drift towards Ally and the others.

Now, please keep in mind that this upcoming encounter with two certain people was purely coincidental, as I had just been planning to head to my locker and grab my lucky pencil. What? Can't a guy own a lucky pencil without being judged?

But anyway, I just so happened to fall in step with none other than Ally Dawson and Dez Wade. They were chatting, and I couldn't help but begin to eavesdrop when I heard my name. Well, at least, if they're talking about me I think I deserve to know. Don't you agree?

Oh, look at me. Talking to myself, or my conscience or whatever. What fun.

Not.

"... two months today since the fight with Austin," Ally whispered to the redhead, frantically glancing left and right. I stifled a chuckle when I realized she was looking for me, most likely to make sure I didn't overhear the conversation. Good thing she didn't abruptly turn around, because I'd probably either burst out laughing or run off stupidly.

Dez shrugged slightly. "Well, I'm sorry, but there's not much I can really do. I have all this family drama, yanno, and the Trish thing." Wow, a guy or pretty much leaves for two months and actually misses out on some things. What an unexpected surprise. "If you miss him, though, you should just tell him and apologize."

Ally seemingly suppressed a sigh. "I can't, Dez. You know that. There were times when I was almost certain my dumb feelings weren't unrequited, and I can't do that to her. It would break her."

Dez exhaled, and I could almost see him rolling his eyes in either impatience, annoyance, or possibly both. Typical. "You can't keep giving your happiness up for some girl. And, anyway, you're not just giving up your happiness, but his, too. It's kind of obvious. Trish and I told you he dropped out literally the same day you did, and I know it was 'cause you left, and maybe the argument, I dunno. But I think he's in love with you, Ally. And you're throwing it all away for a girl you barely know."

I froze immediately, causing several students behind me to smash right into me, nearly knocking me into Dez. Fortunately, I caught myself just in time, running off once I totally regained balance. I didn't even bother to apologize to whoever slammed into me. Makes sense, since I wasn't even thinking straight.

He thought I was in love with Ally. And he told her that. A part of me was excited, knowing that she obviously had some romantic feelings for me, considering Dez's words. The other part, however, was freaking terrified. I had never been in love, really, and the last time I honestly thought about it was after Piper dumped me. But suddenly, it was all making sense. The pain, the longing, the butterflies, the nerves, the excitement. All of it.

I was in love with Ally.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: Still no. **_

_**A/N: YAAAAY THREE YEARS OF AUSTIN & ALLY. Also, a bit of a filler - the good stuff's in the next chapter. **_

_**Ally's POV.**_

I blocked out the rest of Dez's advice after he mentioned how he was almost certain Austin loved me. The thought itself was humorous, but I was tired of people suggesting and implying that he was in love with me. He wasn't. He had perfect little Piper. That would be like choosing a cheeseburger over rare steak. I mean, come on. Let's be logical here.

I caught sight of Austin rushing off a few seconds later, and I bit down hard on my bottom lip, a bad habit I had recently acquired. He had been so close. Another missed opportunity to apologize and mend everything I so thoughtlessly shattered. That is, if I could. If he'd let me.

I had already figured out on my own I loved him a long time ago, and not talking to him everyday was slowly breaking me. Trish, Kira, and Carrie were beginning to notice, but the boys were totally oblivious. I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. I eventually decided that it was a healthy mixture of both.

It was while I was mulling over my life and what I had somehow allowed it to become that some random lyrics popped into my mind:

How'd you get to be so close when you're so far away?

. . .

Later that afternoon I was headed to the cafeteria, although I had my face stuffed in my book. I was working on a brand new song that absolutely nobody would ever hear, thank you so much, stage fright (not), and I'm happy to admit I wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. Which explained how come I ended up colliding with a tall figure, knocking us both to the floor.

"Oh my God, I'm so-" I cut off suddenly, realizing who I had smashed into. As incredibly cliche as it was, I had slammed into none other than Austin Moon.

My apology got stuck in my throat as I looked him up and down. He had changed quite a bit these last two months or so. His hair was a little longer, and he was dressing less like an immature teenager and more like an adult. And if you're wondering why I'm just now realizing these things, well as much as I loved him, I forced myself not to pay any attention to him whatsoever. Less pain. Which is a great explanation as to why it felt like my entire world had come crashing down.

We stayed that way for awhile, on the ground, simply staring at each other. After a minute or two he finally stood up, swooping up my book and casually offering me his hand. As if these past agonizing two months hadn't even occurred. But I was literally desperate for any sort of contact again, so I quickly grasped his hand, allowing him to yank me to my feet.

"Sorry," I muttered softly, finishing my sentence from earlier. I saw the slightest bit of hope in his eyes before he seemingly realized what I was actually apologizing for. He nodded stiffly, handing me my book. I eagerly accepted it, tucking it safely under my left arm. He kept his eyes locked on me for about thirty more seconds before simply turning and walking away. Just like I had done to him that excruciating day. I supposed this was karma or something.

But I wasn't him. I was Ally Dawson, and there was absolutely no way I was letting this boy walk away from me. Ignoring the screams of protest my mind was shouting, I raced after him, grabbing his arm and stopping him. He seemed surprised at this gesture, not that I could blame him. Can I please just remind you that two months is a lot longer than it sounds? At least, for me.

"What?" he asked quietly, already sounding exasperated. I paused, awkwardly pulling my arm away slowly. Why was I doing this, anyway? He had Piper, and Piper had him. But as hard as I tried, it wasn't that easy to move on. I swallowed hard, taking in the purple circles under his eyes.

I laughed humorlessly. "We match," I said softly, gesturing to his purple circles, then mine. Austin raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't comment. I took a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair tiredly. Another bad habit I had recently acquired.

"Why are you talking to me?" he asked, frowning slightly. I bit my lower lip, not quite sure how to respond. I had told him I hated him, I had totally shoved him out of my life. So, why exactly was I speaking to him?

Oh, right.

Because I am so hopelessly, complete, head over heels in love with him.

Not that he needed to know that. Like, ever.

Instead of blurting out the whole in love with him thing, I simply shrugged. "I don't know. Why are you talking to me?" I retorted, although I was unable to meet his eyes. I didn't want to be dragged back in after working so hard on digging myself out. Not that I was even completely out yet. But I would be, eventually, as long as I quit pulling stunts like this.

"Uh, I don't hate you. I've just been giving you space," he said with a simple shrug, staring at me warily. I blinked slowly before his words actually sunk in. I sighed quietly, tugging at my hair uncomfortably. Noticing this, Austin rolled his eyes, quickly turning around again. This time, I let him go.

_For now._ I had to work up the nerve to do something later.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I'm not Kevin or Heath, mon. I'm just someone talkin' like a Jamaican. **_

_**Austin's POV.**_

I couldn't figure it out. Why would Ally talk to me? It didn't make sense. I hadn't had a decent conversation with her ever since right after she returned from the dark side. Which, yes, is pretty melodramatic. But also accurate.

It was whole I was going over this, casually walking throughout the school and vaguely dwelling on the fact that I still had one class left when I was yanked into the janitors closet. The hand was familiar, and so was the perfume, but I was too surprised to identify her.

"What are you-?" I began to ask, but I was quickly cut off by an unfamiliar pair of lips smashing against mine.

It took me almost a full five seconds to kiss back, but just when it was about to deepen she abruptly pulled away, pausing. I opened my mouth, then quickly clamped it shut again. By the time I had finally regained myself she had slipped out of the closet, gently shutting the door behind her before I could even catch a glimpse of her.

I stayed put for a moment, in the pitch black closet before eventually forcing myself to tear myself away from the wall she had pushed me against and walk back out into the halls. I was still more than a little dazed, though. I mean, come on, if you had been yanked into a closet and had a familiar yet unfamiliar girl kiss you, I bet you'd be a bit dazed, too.

"Hey, Austin."

I blinked slowly, trying to comprehend why in the world someone was actually talking to me. Nobody in the school really talked to me anymore, unless they absolutely had to. That included the staff, as well. Yeah, somehow I had gone from the second most popular guy in school to the most unpopular person in Miami. No exaggerations included.

I turned around warily, coming face to face with none other than Dez Wade. "Uh ... hey?" I said, although it sounded more like a question. He smiled brightly, and it took me a few seconds of silence to realize that Trish, Carrie, and Jace were there, too.

Well, okay.

"We wanted to ask you something," Jace started, although Trish quickly interjected.

"They wanted to ask you something," the curly haired girl said pointedly, gesturing to Jace, Dez, and Carrie. Carrie and Jace both shot her total death glares, although Dez's expression didn't change whatsoever. Typical.

I paused, waiting for them to say more. When they didn't, I exhaled impatiently. "Can you please just, like, ask me already so I can get to class?" I snapped. I couldn't help it, these people had barely even acknowledged me recently and now they're popping up out of nowhere after some girl kissed me? God. Could today get any weirder?

Carrie sighed quietly. "We were wondering if maybe you wanted to join us again," she said softly, twirling a strand of her blond hair around her left pointer finger. Jace and Dez nodded in agreement, although Dez nodded much more eagerly and excitedly than Jace. Then again, Dez was always more happy about things and Jace was more ... chill, I guess. I'm glad to see that at least one thing hadn't completely changed.

However, I was still kind of processing what Carrie said. Me, join them again? "Why are you asking me now?" I asked them, both eyebrows raised. It was great, how calm I seemed when really, I was freaking out inside. Just great.

Jace shrugged. "We're finally getting there. Another week or two, and no one will even know Dallas, Cassidy and Elliot. We wanted to give you the opportunity to come back now."

"It'll be near impossible for you to come back after we overthrow them," Trish said in a total deadpan. Carrie weakly slapped her arm, but Trish just shrugged. "What? It's true, and you all know it. Bet you he does, too. So what's the big deal?"

I frowned slightly. "Wait, why would it be practically impossible for me to come back later on?" I asked, feeling pretty dumb since Trish literally just said I probably already knew. But I didn't, so, whoops.

Jace bit his lower lip, seeming unwilling to answer. After a few seconds, though, he finally did. "The thing about popularity is that it's hard for old members to break through again. Remember what happened when Tilly Thompson ditched us after her breakup with Dallas and tried to come back a couple months later? Our fellow peers ... they wouldn't accept her as one of their so-called "leaders" again," he reminded me. "I don't think now would be any different, despite all the good we've done, because you-"

"You haven't done a damn thing," Trish stated simply. Carrie and Dez flinched at the curse word, but then slowly nodded in agreement. Jace even shrugged, which I knew meant he agreed with them. I opened my mouth to attest, but almost immediately shut it again. Because, unfortunately, they were right. I hadn't done anything since that day Ally erupted at me.

I took a deep breath, then exhaled, not exactly appreciating the unwanted memory. "I know," I said honestly. "Listen, about your offer - maybe. I'll think about it and get back to you later. But right now I really gotta get to class, so-"

Jace raised both eyebrows at me. "Since when do you care about class?"

I shrugged. "Since a little while after best friend told me she hated me. Anyway, I'll catch you guys later," I added as an after thought, pointedly ignoring their shocked expressions. Well, at least, Jace and Carrie's. I paused before slinging my backpack over my shoulder, heading to my next and final class.

The whole Jace-Carrie-Dez-Trish ordeal was so distracting, I actually forgot about that kiss. Huh. That was weird.

And I'm thinking about it right now, aren't I? And talking to myself. How great is that?

Not.


	18. Chapter 18

**_Disclaimer: Still not Kevin and/or Heath. _**

**_Ally's POV._**

"So, I'm guessing he said no?" I pressed, taking a small bite out of my ripe green apple. I was in the cafeteria, eating lunch with the others. Turns out they had just asked Austin to come back to our little group. And I was pretty sure whose idea that was.

Thanks, Dez.

Jace shrugged awkwardly, picking at his hamburger. "Well, not exactly," he mumbled, just low enough that we could hear him, but the crowd surrounding us couldn't. I raised an eyebrow at this, my way of gesturing for him to go on. When he didn't, I glanced over at Trish, who sighed loudly.

"He said he would think about it," she explained, running her fingers through her curly, blackish brown hair. "Then he said he had to get to class, so."

Okay, what? Did I hear that right?

"Yeah, you did," Carrie said quietly. I winced both inwardly and outwardly, realizing that I must have been thinking aloud. It was a bad habit I had ever since I was a toddler, but usually I had control over it. It was only when I was extremely shocked that I didn't.

Once I eventually regained myself, I raised both eyebrows this time. "Seriously? Since when does Austin Moon care about school?" I asked, my tone sharper than I had originally intended. Nobody at the table truly seemed to notice, most likely because of our latest guest.

"I'll tell you the exact same thing I told them earlier: Around the time my best friend told me she hates me," Austin said bluntly, plopping down in the space on the bench that had been empty for so long, dropping his tray on the table carelessly. Kira and Jace, who he was wedged between, stared at him in shock until Kira threw her arms around him suddenly, hugging him tightly.

"I missed you!" she squealed, tightening her grip on him. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, which was stupid. I mean, I was going to have to get used to seeing him with gilts who aren't me. Especially since Piper was apparently in love with him and all. And it didn't matter to me what Dez thought about the subject. I knew he returned her feelings. It was so painfully obvious.

He slowly pulled himself out of her grasp, nodding slowly. "I can tell, since you were kinda choking me just now," he said with a slight smirk. She blushed furiously, scooting away from him so she was closer to Dez.

It was sort of impossible to miss the death glare Trish was currently shooting Kira, but I honestly tried my best. I didn't want to get involved in any other romantic disasters, thank you very much.

Austin paused thoughtfully, causing an uncomfortable silence to fall over all of us. Eventually, however, he did speak up. Although I kind of wished he hadn't. "Have any of you girls kissed me lately?"

"What the heck kind of question is that?" I blurted thoughtlessly, speaking for the first time since he arrived. He snickered quietly at either me or my question, but didn't reply, instead glancing between Trish and Kira.

"Um, no," Kira said, frowning slightly. "I haven't kissed anyone recently ... ha. Anyway, why?" she added, almost as an afterthought.

He shrugged, staring at his burger pointedly. "I dunno, maybe because some random girl shoved me into the janitors closet earlier, slammed her lips against mine, yanked away when it was about to deepen, and slid out before I even saw her."

Dez squealed suddenly, sounding like a thirteen year old fangirl. "Ooh! Okay, okay. Could you tell anything about her? Long hair, short hair, possibly hair color? Clothes? Short, tall, in between? Had you kissed her before? Oh, boy, this is sorta like Cinderella!"

Austin raised both eyebrows, but quickly responded to each question. "Um, all right. I guess it was longish, because I could feel it brushing against me. Not positive about her hair color, but I think it was dark, maybe brown. I honestly don't know what she was wearing, and how would I? It was pitch black in there."

"You could have turned a light on," Trish said in a "duh" voice. Carrie giggled softly.

Austin rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored her. "I think she was short, at least, compared to me. And no, no, I'm positive I had never kissed her before."

I couldn't help but interrupt. Well, I probably could have, but whatever. "How would you even know?"

Austin looked over at me, frowning. "Uh, okay. What's that supposed to mean, Alllyyy?"

I bit my lower lip, trying so hard to stop myself, but failing miserably. "Well, back when you were besties with Dallas and the others, there were all these rumors you made out, or, um, more, with, like, half the girls in this school. Even when you were dating Piper."

Austin paused, staring at me intently for a moment before exhaling loudly. "Those were exactly that - rumors. Dallas and Elliot started them, figuring it would make me seem more like a so-called "bad boy." I just went along with it is all. But, honestly? ... My first kiss was with Piper."

My eyes widened slightly and I vaguely heard Trish choking on her food. "Are you serious?!" I practically shrieked, capturing the attention of the majority of my fellow peers. Austin chuckled quietly, but nodded. I gaped at him for another moment before the news finally sank in and I nodded slowly, staring at my food uncomfortably.

"Although ... I wouldn't have minded if it was you that shoved me into that closet, Allyson," he said teasingly, winking playfully before starting a conversation with Gavin. My head jerked up as I gaped at him again, thankfully without any food in my mouth.

"Told you," Dez whispered to me.

I pretended not to hear him, instead getting lost in my thoughts, per usual. I knew Austin was daring, but really, flirting with a girl that said she hated you ... that was bold. Even for him.

"Are you ever going to tell him it was you?" Trish mumbled nonchalantly, messing around with her fork.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I don't want to mess things up with him and Piper," I muttered back thoughtlessly, definitely not even thinking about the fact that I had literally just admitted to Trish that I had been the one to kiss Austin.

She snickered. "Gotcha," she singsonged. I rolled my eyes, propping my chin up in the palms of my hands, staring off into what I previously thought was nothingness. Turns out I was wrong, though.

"Um, Ally? Why exactly are you staring at Austin?" Gavin asked, his country accent quite obvious as he spoke. My eyes widened to the point that it was comedic, at least, for Dez and Trish, who were cracking up. Very, very loudly, by the way.

I swallowed hard. "Uh, just ... just ..." I trailed off awkwardly when I caught sight of Austin's confident smirk. My stomach knotted as I realized something extremely crucial:

Austin knew I was the one that had kissed him. Which, at least, explained the flirting and the smirking and oh, God.

Yep. I was officially screwed.


	19. Chapter 19

**_Disclaimer: Still not Heath or Kevin, bud. So ... buh-bye._**

**_Austin's POV._**

Ally squirmed uncomfortably in her seat after Gavin caught her staring at me. I smirked widely at her. By now I was almost certain she had been the one to kiss me, especially once I considered her conversation with Dez I overheard. Now, all I had to do was win her over and everything would be perfect.

At least, as perfect as things here ever are.

"Hey, I just realized something," Dez said suddenly. I raised an eyebrow at this, slightly doubtful. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but it was a rare occurrence that Dez realized anything that was honestly important.

Trish glanced at him, obviously stifling a yawn. "What did you realize?" she asked before yawning quietly. It wasn't until then that I noticed that Ally and I weren't the only ones with purple circles. Trish had them, too, as well as Kira and Dez.

What exactly had I missed? ...

"Well, Ally and Austin are total opposites. Like ... like yin and yang! Yeah! Exactly like that," he said with a happy grin, obviously proud of his analogy. Trish stared at him expectantly, so he continued. "Well, studies show that opposites most definitely attract, and ... they're a perfect match, really."

"Dez!" Ally and I screamed in unison. We glanced at each other briefly before directing our glares back at Dez. He grinned innocently at us before starting up a random conversation about Zaliens. I exhaled loudly, running my hand through my hair in frustration. Ally, meanwhile, was blushing such a deep shade of red that tomatoes would be jealous. Noticing this, I winked at her, which only increased her blush by about a thousand. I smirked, shaking my head slightly at the table. This was going to be easier than I thought.

Or so I was figuring. Before my ex girlfriend decided to plop done on my lap and smash her lips against mine.

I vaguely considered pulling away, but them she tightly wrapped her arms around my neck, making sure I couldn't move an inch. So I relaxed into the kiss. That is, as much as a guy who's in love with another girl can whilst kissing his ex. Which, by the way, isn't much.

I heard the whistles from my fellow peers, and I recognized one of them as Jace. I jerked away as much as I could, which was only a few centimeters. "Piper, what are you doing?" I hissed.

She rolled her eyes, as if I was crazy. "Shut up and trust me," she whispered before crashing our lips together again. So, I did. Trust her, I mean. I allowed her to deepen the kiss, although I didn't respond much. All I could think about was Ally, Ally, Ally.

I pretended not to hear the scraping of the chair against the cafeteria floor and sound of heels pounding against the floor as she ran away.

. . .

"Honey, we have big news," my mom said the second I walked in the door. I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why in the world she was home. Usually she and my dad were always at the mattress store. I hadn't had a decent conversation with either of them in actual months. No joke. No exaggeration.

"What, Mom?" I asked, feigning exasperation, just because I knew it pissed her off. She sighed quietly. rubbing her temple as if she had a headache. I rolled my eyes, running a hand through my hair. It wasn't like I had the most delightful day of my life. I hadn't even seen or heard from Ally since lunch.

Thanks a lot, Piper.

See, this is why I don't trust.

After a moment my mother seemed to recover from her annoyance. She placed a single hand on my shoulder and led me to the dining room where, get this, my dad was sitting. My eyes widened slightly at this, and I struggled with remaining nonchalant. He gestured to the chair across from him. I warily sat down, trying to figure out all the reasons why we're having this "family meeting" or whatever.

"Well, uh ..." my dad started awkwardly. He cleared his throat before continuing. "You need to keep in mind that we just found this out this morning. And it was truly a mistake." My mom huffed at this, but Dad kept on trucking. "I promise, it was completely meaningless, but it resulted in ... in, well."

"Just say it," I urged, a million different possibilities racing through my mind at the speed of light. I guess, I don't know. I was too busy staring out to really think about what I'm thinking.

That made no sense.

But whatever.

Okay, so, what if they were opening another Moon's Mattress Kingdom?

No, that wouldn't make sense. It wouldn't be a mistake. To them.

What if we had family visiting?

All right, now I'm just desperate. But seriously. Why aren't either of them saying anything? This is really beginning to freak me out. And meanwhile, the whole Ally-Piper thing was still nagging me in the back of my mind. Oh, what a life I'm having.

"Mike, just say it already. You're scaring our son," my mom barked, her eyebrows furrowed together tightly. I bit my lower lip at this, not used to my mom snapping at my dad. Typically, they were an extremely happy couple. Well, correction. An extremely happy couple that often forgot they had a freaking son. But that's not the point. At least, but at the moment.

"Fine, fine," he exhaled loudly, as if whatever this huge news was physically parked him to say out loud. "Austin ..."

Here it comes.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer: Still nooooo.**_

_**A/N: Twentieth chapter! Also the shortest, but don't worry. The good stuff is in the next chapter. :D Thanks for all the reviews! And since it's our twentieth chapter, I have a challenge for you.**_

_**If you guys go through all the chapters and review on each of them, commenting on your favorite character from that chapter, I'll give you a shout out for the next two chapters! First two people only. :D (Sorry if it sounds like I'm greedy for reviews, I'm just bored! xD)**_

_**Onto the story!**_

_**Ally's POV.**_

I laid in my bed, staring pointedly up at my ceiling. My dad was working late at the store again, and normally at this time I would be eating dinner and talking on the phone to Trish, a new tradition we had recently started. But tonight, I couldn't even stomach the thought of eating. I was going with the unlikely theory that I was sick, but deep down I knew the real reason.

Austin and Piper. Obviously.

I still couldn't get the image of them kissing at lunch today out of my mind. It was the thing that kept me from eating, honestly. It made need that queasy. No freaking joke. And I knew how terribly idiotic that was. I knew Piper was in love with Austin, and I knew Austin was in love with Piper. It was painfully obvious. But did they have to make out in the middle of the cafeteria? I go there to eat, not watch their tongues dance the Salsa.

Because, yes. That kiss had tongue.

It probably wouldn't hurt as much if Austin hasn't flirted with me before Piper stopped by. But he was leading me on, and honestly, I had thought that maybe he might return my feelings. But just a few minutes later, he was kissing another girl.

I'm so stupid.

It was while I was mulling over my extremely depressing thoughts and beginning to think I was a drizzle of darkness or something similar, I heard my phone quietly ping. I quickly reached over and grabbed it, guessing it was Trish out possibly Dez.

It wasn't.

It was _Piper_.

**From: Piper**

**Hey, ally. Im sorry about kissing austin earlier. I know you like him, and that was cruel. But i swear, my intentions were good. And sorry about texting you so abruptly. Its just, a new revelation in my life is making me rethink my decisions**

I contemplated on whether or not to just ignore her and continue moping around in self pity. After a couple minutes of thinking, I eventually decided it would be rude but to respond, and I usually was not a rude person.

So, I pressed the "Reply" button.

**To: Piper**

**It's fine. I know you're in love with him and all. I understand. And mind if I ask what exactly that "revelation" is?**

I figured it would take her a few minutes, maybe even an hour, to reply. Besides, I bet she was getting cozy with Austin. Sitting on his lap and watching a sappy movie, occasionally turning over to sneak in a kiss or two ... or three ... or a full out make out session.

My stomach clenched the exact second my phone ping-ed one again.

**From: Piper**

**Im not in love with austin. And i cant exactly tell you. Im sorry. Im still trying to wrap my head around it, though.**

This time, I didn't reply.

. . .

The next day I scanned the parking lot at school, looking for Austin's car. I frowned slightly when I didn't see it, but figured that maybe he was simply running late or something. He wasn't exactly a morning person, if you're getting my drift.

I really wish I didn't remember all these things about him.

A few minutes later I caught up with Jace in the halls. accidentally interrupting his conversation with Gavin and Kira. "Sorry," I said bluntly before continuing "Have you guys seen Piper? I need to talk to her." More like, need to find out why she lied to me about loving Austin. But I didn't feel like going into details.

Jace shook his head, grinning apologetically. "Sorry, Carrie and Piper both called out sick. I think they have the flu or something."

I nodded slowly, smiling my thanks before running on my heel and walking away. I wasn't going to lie, I found it pretty weird that they called out sick after Piper apparently had a revelation or whatever. But hey, it technically want my business. I just needed to find Austin next and apologize a million or so times.

A couple minutes before the first bell I talked out my cell phone and brought up Austin's name in my contacts. Taking a deep breath, I typed up my first text to him in months.

**To: Austin**

**Hey, where are you?**

He responded almost immediately, startling me. Even when we were friends, it took him ages to reply.

**From: Austin**

**sick**

I didn't respond to this text, either. My head was spinning and spinning like a girl in a brand new dress. Austin, Piper, and Carrie all called out sick? Wasn't that a little weird? And way too coincidental.

And I was determined to find out what the heck was going on.


End file.
